Key:lanes:both_ways

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Public-images-osm logo.svg lanes:both_ways
2006 02 24 - MD115 - WB 07.JPG
Description
Total number of traffic lanes available for motorised traffic in both directions at a single lane. Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: highways
Used on these elements
should not be used on nodesmay be used on waysshould not be used on areasshould not be used on relations (except multipolygon relations)
Useful combination
Status: de factoPage for proposal

Some roads have special lane for making a turn that is available in both directions, commonly called a "two-way left turn lane" (TWLT), "center left-turn lane", "center turn lane", "median turn lane", or "suicide lane".[1] Center turn lanes are especially common in suburban areas of the United States and Canada. As these countries drive on right side of the road, the center turn lane is used for turning left. Unlike with other turn lanes, a driver going in either direction may enter or exit this lane at any point along the lane. However, some jurisdictions have rules restricting how far one can travel along the lane, to discourage its use as a passing or through lane.

How to map

The road segment that has a center turn lane should be tagged lanes:both_ways=1, and lanes=* should account for the presence of this lane. turn:lanes:both_ways=* should be set to left in countries that drive on the right side of the road or right in countries that drive on the left. These tags are applicable even if there are no abutters along the road yet.

History

Originally, centre_turn_lane=yes was widely used throughout the United States to indicate a two-way left turn lane. That tag has been deprecated; most of its usage has been migrated to a tagging proposal that never came to a vote but nonetheless became established in the database. (The proposal also suggests using the same tag for transitions within intersections, but this usage's prevalence is unclear.)

Examples

See also

Notes

  1. Originally, "suicide lane" referred to lane in the center of a highway meant for passing in both directions. Nowadays, such lanes are fairly rare.