Road Network Functionality
 | This page is currently under construction |
Road Network Functionality
This page is being developed as a place where we can describe "functionality" of road network, through documented and agreed upon tagging schema(s). Driven by the often requested mapping of road network during disaster to reflect the actual traversability of the road infrastructure. Check back often as this will be a long-term work-in-progress. Before you make modifications to this page, you are invited to come to our stakeholder discussions, email Hot (en) for more information and invitation to meetings. You may also use the discussion tab here.
Goal
The goal is to simply have a single wiki-resource for mappers as well as routing developers to understand the tagging schema used to describe (and modify) routing based on significant impacts to the road network; such as washed out roads, destroyed bridges, etc. And to help define what should not be added to OpenStreetMap like water temporarily across a roadway, temporary changes to speed, etc.
Background
In 2017 and before, the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) response to several events included mapping impact to the road network, yet there was much ambiguity of what should and should not be mapped in OpenStreetMap and what tags to use if it should. In 2018, with their partners at Heidelberg University in Germany - who developed and maintain the OpenRouteService, HOT began a series of meetings to begin a coordinated effort to examine the existing tags in use, determine if they fit the needs of routing during disaster, and propose any tag(s) necessary to fill any gaps in disaster routing.
Categories
We believe it is helpful to think of tags that affect road network functionality in categories.
Base
These are of the key: highway that defined the very basic hierarchy of the road network. Without additional tags, these base tags can be used to estimate things like potential volume of traffic, speed and the type of vehicles traveling a particular route.
Additional
These are additional tags in the key: highway that may or may not affect automobile traffic, but may help define how the road network interacts with other features.
Lanes & Conditions
This category is more about defining the entire road surface than just how many lanes exist. They detail the roads with things like surface, access, speeds, etc. Defined under many keys, this category contains many features that impact the functionality of the road network.
Other Ways
This category contains tags mostly related to non-highway features; things like cycleways, waterways, bridleways,and footways. Which as with the Additional category above, may not affect automobile traffic but help to show how the road network interact with other features. One example is a road that crosses a dam, routing will not be affected, unless there becomes a problem with the dam.