Wow Alberto, you have put a lot of thought into this. I agree its needed and think the model would serve us a lot better than the way its done now. But I see a couple of problems, first, we have a huge data set using the existing model. Very hard to change that. Secondly, I suspect not all contributers to OSM are familiar with the sort of roads that have prompted your proposal. So, wide spread support may be a bit hard to find.

But I'd be the last to suggest you give up something just because its impossible !

So, lets pick it over.

Firstly, maybe your categories might need to be a bit finer grained. For example, the jump, in Rural, 3 Tertiary and 4 Unclassified is too big. I live on a rural road, its not a connecting road and it is owned and maintained (occasionally) by the Municipality. So its definitely a public access road but not one a routing engine should consider (except start and end stages of course). Such roads are very common.

I am not sure I like the classification you use for C Road Condition. It seems a bit too focused on maintenance models rather than providing an indication of how a traveler might find it. I suggest what a map (or whatever) user wants to know is "should I use this road ?". And that, of course, is dependent on vehicle, maybe affected by weather, maintenance cycles and so on.

Alberto, I'd like to see this model refined, lets make out that we are starting fresh, get it right and then look to see if some of the result can be incorporated into the current model, or even a long term transition ?

David

On 06/03/16 01:25, Alberto wrote:

Dear OSM staff, contributors, and users:

I have read the definitions, concepts and description that OSM uses to characterize (tag) roads and noticed that OSM does not establish the difference between inter-urban (rural) roads and urban roads (comprising mostly avenues and streets). Therefore, I propose to *replace the existing OSM road classification with a "functional classification"* that would allow OSM *"to better model and better visualize"* the actual road network. I have noticed that you have been challenged to adapt to the differences found in each country. If the following classification is adopted, it will be a "*universal standard*" and you will not need to adopt different criteria for developed or developing countries, like the OSM example for East Africa.

It would be useful to define a road class (paved/unpaved) and a road surface type (concrete, asphalt, surface treatment, gravel, earth). I also propose to reduce the options for road condition to only five categories defined by the need for maintenance or rehabilitation. I can provide a technical definition using the International Roughness Index (IRI) for paved and unpaved roads.


I am fully aware that these changes present a major challenge for the existing, coding, renderer, editors, etc. However, I am confident that introducing these changes (and adding the number of lanes) will not only simplify the mapping tasks, but would substantially improve the quality of the OMS products, particularly given the fact that many other layers are highly dependent on the quality of the road network.


I am a Civil Engineer (MS Stanford) with training on urban planning (MIT) with more than 20 years of experience working with international organizations like the World Bank and the African Development Bank on roads and highways in more than 50 countries, but mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, and Eastern Europe.

Alberto Nogales

202-257-8726


*A. FUNCTIONAL ROAD CLASSIFICATION for "Motor Vehicles":*

*
*

*Rural (Inter-Urban) Roads - Located outside of urban areas*

*Classified Road Network. *Generally falls under the responsibility of the National, Provincial (State), Municipal/Local Government to build, operate and maintain.

    *1.* *Primary* Roads - National, Main, Trunk Roads outside of
    urban areas that connect the main population and economic centers
    of the country. Typically under the responsibility of the National
    Government and with high levels of traffic.

    *2.* *Secondary* Roads - Regional, State, Provincial Roads are the
    main feeder routes into, and provide the main links between
    primary roads. Typically under the responsibility of the
    Provincial Government and with medium levels of traffic.

    *3.* *Tertiary* Roads - Municipal, Local, Rural Roads that connect
    the smaller towns to intermediate cities. Typically under the
    responsibility of the Local Governments and with low levels of
    traffic.

*Unclassified Road Network.*

    *4. Unclassified* Roads. Mostly private roads or of unknown
    responsibility to build and operate. Typically maintained by local
    communities or by private mining, forestry, or agricultural
    enterprises.

*Urban Network- Located within the boundaries of urban areas*

    *1/2/3.* *Highway.* [Expressway, Motorways] Parts of the Primary,
    Secondary or Tertiary Roads that go across an urban area. Parts of
    the National, Provincial Network. Expressways with limited access.
    Typically no pedestrian or bicycle access.

    *5. **Arterial*. [Route, Boulevard] Connecting key areas of urban
    activity with higher traffic levels and longest trip lengths. High
    speeds with minimum interference to through movements, like those
    used by bus routes.

    *6.* *Collector*. [Avenue] Provides land access and traffic
    circulation within urban areas. Penetrates neighborhoods,
    collecting and distributing traffic between neighborhoods
    and arterial network. Medium traffic levels with moderate trip
    lengths. Medium speeds with frequent interference to through
    movements.

    *7. **Local*. [Street] Road used to provide access to adjacent
    land and to the collector network and to higher order of streets.
    Lower traffic level with through traffic deliberately discouraged.
    Low speed.

    *8. **Path*. [Lane, Passage] Narrow mostly single lane in between
    buildings or behind a row of houses without sidewalks. Single
    direction and lowest level of traffic and lowest speed.

*Add Classification for "Non-Motor Vehicles" that will not use the term road nor highways, like bicycle lane, pedestrian paths, etc.*


*Total Road Network = Primary + Secondary + Tertiary + Unclassified + Urban*

*
*

*B. ROAD SURFACE CLASS (Paved/Unpaved) & ROAD SURFACE TYPE*

    *1. Paved*

        *1.1 Concrete*

        *1.2 Asphalt*

        *1.3 Surface Treatment*

    *2. Unpaved*

        *2.1 Gravel*

        *2.2 Earth*

*C. ROAD CONDITION*

    *1. Very Good. *Roads do not require any capital costs. Recently
    completed and/or very good quality and high standard.

    *2. Good. *Roads largely free of defects and require only minor
    maintenance work.

    *3. Fair.* Road with defects that require periodic maintenance
    like resurfacing or regravelling, or grading.

    *4. Poor. *Roads require partial rehabilitation, strengthening or
    partial reconstruction.

    *5. Very Poor.*  Road requires full rehabilitation or full
    reconstruction.

*D. NUMBER OF LANES AND/OR *ROAD WIDTH*. *The functional classification can be further improved by providing the number of lanes and traffic flow direction, and the width of the main carriageway. it is also useful to indicate if the road is physically divided or not by a median or other. As for the urban roads indicate if the roads have sidewalks or not.

    *1. 1 LANE*

    *2. 2 LANES*

    *3. 3 LANES*

    *4. 4 LANES*

    *5. 5 LANES*

    *6. 6  or more LANES*



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