User:Minh Nguyen/Requirements for street parking

This document aims to describe the requirements for a comprehensive tagging scheme for on-street parking.

Background

The tags and examples documented at Key:parking:lane are heavily influenced by German law and the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals. Regarding street parking, the Vienna Convention is relatively underdeveloped (or vastly simplified) compared to the wide variety of local regulations around the world, particularly in countries that conform to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) or a variation thereof.

The existing parking:lane=*/parking:condition=* tagging scheme was originally developed in 2010. It predates a period of rapid development of navigation-related tags. It is notable for its incompatibility with newer general tagging schemes such as Conditional restrictions and Multiple values. The absence of these schemes not only complicated the parking:condition=* syntax but also limited its ability to fully express the nuances in street parking regulations.

Purpose

This document does not propose a replacement tagging scheme for street parking or even a refinement of the existing tagging scheme. Rather, it attempts to synthesize the various regulations that mappers would want to express when mapping street parking. In the future, this document could serve as a starting point for a comprehensive overhaul of the street parking tagging scheme.

Progress

This synthesis should eventually account for as many sign standards as possible, including the Vienna Convention, the national MUTCD, each state MUTCD and state MUTCD supplement, any local sign standard, and national standards based on the MUTCD. The hybrid standards SADC and SICA may also be consulted.

Current progress:

The parking space

For simplicity, this document assumes that each parking space is mapped as a separate feature. If the tagging scheme allows mapping a group of consecutive parking spaces as a single feature, additional tags will be needed to indicate the number of spaces and any variations in access restrictions among those spaces.

Lateral position

The space may be on either side of the street or in the center median of a two-way street.

The space may be fully on the street, in a travel lane, in a dedicated parking lane, on either side of a bicycle lane, in the shoulder, on the curb, in the verge, or fully off the street to the side.

Longitudinal position

The space may be on either side of a sign describing the space. It may be an arbitrary distance away from a payment station.

Vehicle orientation

The space may be parallel, diagonal, or perpendicular to the street. A diagonal space may require a vehicle to drive in and back out, require it to back in and drive out, or allow either approach.

Amenities

The space may have an associated electric vehicle charging station.

Access restrictions

A given parking space may have any number of access restrictions, each corresponding to a different set of associated usage restrictions or requirements.

Usage restrictions and requirements

Manner of use

Parking may be permitted, or only standing but not parking, or only stopping but not standing, or no stopping at all. Loading passengers and/or goods may be permitted while standing.

Payment method

A parking meter or payment station may be provided for the space or group of spaces. Alternatively, a parking application may be used or required.

Further reading

• “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways”. Washington, D.C.: Federal Highway Administration. May 2012. https://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/htm/2009r1r2/html_index.htm.