OSM Bike Ottawa Tagging Guide

Table of Contents

• Off-Road
• Physically Protected
• Painted Spaces
• Mixed Traffic
• Smoothness
• Lane Configuration
• Parking
• Flooding
• Plowing
• Filtered Permeability and Pinch-Points
• Force Dismounts
• Intersections and other Road Crossings
• Other tags for ways not shown
• Points of Interest (Nodes)
• Signs
• JOSM Tips & Tricks
• Tasking Manager

Off-Road

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Paved Multi-Use Path (MUP)	Typically 3m wide, may be wider. Mixed bike and foot traffic.	highway=path width=* smoothness=* segregated=no surface=asphalt centreline=yes
Twinned Path	Typically >4.5 m wide. Separated bike and foot traffic	highway=path surface=asphalt segregated=yes
Walkway	Typically <3m wide. May not have curb cuts. Intended primarily for foot traffic, though bikes are not prohibited	highway=footway bicycle=yes segregated=no
Unpaved Multi-Use Path (MUP)	Typically 3m wide. Mixed bike and foot traffic. Often a stonedust surface, but sometimes dirt.	highway=path surface=fine_gravel bicycle=yes segregated=no
Desire line	Well-worn path in a direct line between popular destinations. Also known as a goat path.	highway=path path=desire
Singletrack	Recreational in purpose, may be meandering or direct. Most often maintained by users. Often includes technically challenging sections, but some sections may be appropriate for transportation
Track road	Also known as doubletrack. Typically direct, but surfaces are often too rough for comfortable cycling. Motor vehicles such as ATVs are often permitted, but track roads are typically not used by conventional cars. May not be maintained.
Boardwalk	May be recreational in purpose, but some sections are suitable for transportation	highway=path bridge=boardwalk surface=wood

Physically Protected

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
One way protected lane	Also known as cycletrack. Separated from the roadway by elevation, pedestrians not permitted. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.	highway=cycleway oneway=yes
Bi-directional protected lane	Also known as cycletrack. Separated from the roadway by elevation, pedestrians not permitted. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.	highway=cycleway oneway=no
One way physically protected bike lane	The bike lane and roadway share a continuous surface but are separated by substantial treatments that may include: - planters - concrete sleepers - jersey barriers - parked cars Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.	highway=cycleway oneway=yes
Contraflow lane with separation	If the separation is only paint or flex posts, see contraflow lanes in the "Painted Spaces" section. On one-way streets where there is a physical form of separation. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.	highway=cycleway oneway=yes
Service strip (REVIEW NEEDED)	Asphalt strip, resembles a cycletrack, but is typically narrow and in poor condition, with no intersection treatments, and may include utility poles. Intended as a low-maintenance surface for snow storage. Also provide width and smoothness tags.	shoulder=service_strip width=* smoothness=*
Shared sidewalk (signed)	A standard sidewalk, sharing designated by signage. Surface is often concrete, rather than asphalt. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.	highway=footway bicycle=yes surface=concrete

Painted Spaces

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Buffered bike lane	Not to be confused with a protected bike lane (described in the previous section). The bike lane and roadway share a continuous surface but are separated by flimsy treatments that may include: - flex stakes - double paint line	cycleway=lane cycleway:buffer=yes cycleway:buffer=0.5
Painted bike lane, on a divided road	A single line of paint delineates the bike lane. Bike symbol may be painted in the lane. The lane is reserved for bikes by posted signage.	cycleway:right=lane
Painted bike lane, on an undivided road	A single line of paint delineates the bike lane. Bike symbol may be painted in the lane. The lane is reserved for bikes by posted signage.	cycleway=lane
Advisory bike lane	Dashed lines delineate bike lanes on each side of the street, and this functions like any other bike lane for cyclists. The remaining roadway is too narrow for two-way motor traffic. Motorists may enter the bike lanes when encountering an oncoming vehicle, but must give priority to cyclists.	lanes=1 cycleway=lane
Pocket bike lane	Painted lane positioned between a right-turn lane and a through lane. Right turn lane length can be quite variable. The cycleway:middle tag is an invention, since there is no convention for this situation.	cycleway:middle=lane
Contraflow lane no separation	On one-way streets, only a yellow line separates two-way bike traffic. If there is physical separation in the form of a barrier or vertical discontinuity, see the enrty on contraflow lanes with physical separation.	cycleway=opposite_lane
Shoulder, not signed as a bike lane	A single line of paint delineates the shoulder. No signage or bike symbols present. Map if there is enough space to bike, i.e. at least 2-3ft wide Parking on the shoulder is typically permitted.	cycleway:left/right/both=shoulder
Traffic-calming parking lane	Resembles a bike lane or paved shoulder, but is typically narrow and, unlike a paved shoulder, includes a curb. Intended to visually narrow the road and calm traffic speeds. Not specifically intended for cycling, but may be functional. Parking is typically permitted.	-tag like any other shared road with/without parking
Pedestrian crossing	Controlled/uncontrolled pedestrian crossing often required to connect two non-intersecting ways	Draw as a separate way where zebra is highway=footway footway=crossing

Mixed Traffic

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Dooring zone	Unique in Ottawa. Painted warning that cyclists should avoid riding close to parked vehicles.	cycleway=shared_lane otherwise, tag like any other shared street with parking
Super sharrows	Green backgound for enhanced visibility. Indicates lane position cyclists should use on roads where no cycling infrastructure is present.	cycleway=shared_lane
Sharrows	Bike symbol indicates lane position cyclists should use on roads where no cycling infrastructure is present. Require frequent re-painting and may be very faded; it's still of interest to know which roads are intended to have sharrows.	cycleway=shared_lane
Shared bus/bike lane	Cyclists will often have these lanes to themselves, but sometimes will need to navigate amidst buses. Designated by signage.	cycleway=share_busway

Smoothness

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Smoothness	Read more on the wiki. Always a subjective call. Here are some more cycling-specific interpretations of the keys.	smoothness=*
Excellent	Fresh flawless pavement	smoothness=excellent
Good	Decent on skinny tires - Asphalt with a few cracks and bumps - Flawless stone dust	smoothness=good
Intermediate	A bike with sturdy tires and wheels would be preferred by most. - Bumpy but not hazardous pavement. - Stonedust with some minor washouts. - Well-packed featureless dirt.	smoothness=intermediate
Bad	- Pavement with jarring bumps, alligatoring, or large cracks. - Coarse gravel or stonedust with washouts that require alertness. - Dirt trail with small stones or some small roots.	smoothness=bad
Very_bad	A mountain bike, perhaps with front suspension, is a more comfortable choice here. This is the worst pavement condition that Ottawa is willing to just live with. - Pavement with hazardous bumps and cracks large enough to swallow skinny wheels. - Stonedust with hazardous washouts. - Rocky surface, such as an ATV trail. - Dirt trail where stones or roots require attention.	smoothness=very_bad
Horrible	Dangerously broken pavement that should be fixed immediately; this is not a tag that will often apply to paved surfaces. - Trails with large stones or roots that may require dismounting or suspension	smoothness=horrible
Very Horrible	Rough-edged stones, many exposed roots, suitable only for fatbikes or full suspension	smoothness=very_horrible
Impassable	Almost nobody would be able to ride this	smoothness=impassable

Lane Configuration

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
One Lane	Advisory bike lane streets where cars must use bike lane to pass by each other. Single-lane bridges.	lanes=2
Two Lanes	Most residential streets consist of two lanes.	lanes=2
Multiple Lanes	Includes turning lanes	lanes=5
Width	Most designated MUPs have a width of 3m, though some are wider. Walkways are typically 2m	width=*
Speed limit	Only show if the speed is posted different than 50.	maxspeed=40

Parking

It's possible to get into deep detail on street parking; we are mainly concerned with whether it is present, or saying definitively that it is absent.

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Left	Parking, left side	parking:lane:left=parallel
Right	Parking, right side	parking:lane:right=parallel
Both	Parking, both side	parking:lane:both=parallel
No Parking	No Parking	parking:lane:both=no_parking
No Stopping	No Stopping	parking:lane:both=no_stopping

Flooding

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Flood Prone	Use flood_prone=yes If the flooding is a predictable annual event, you may wish to add conditional access restrictions to indicate times of the year when the way should be avoided.	access:conditional=no @ May 1-15

Plowing

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Maintained	If maintained, winter_service=yes	winter_service=yes
Not maintained	If not plowed, winter_service=no	winter_service=no
Poorly maintained	If poorly plowed, add a conditional restriction of smoothness:conditional=bad @ Dec-Mar	smoothness:conditional=bad

Filtered Permeability and Pinch-Points

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Chicane without channel
Chicane with channel
P-Gate		barrier=cycle_barrier bicycle=yes motor_vehicle=no
Block/Boulder/Planter		barrier=block bicycle=yes motor_vehicle=no
Bollard		barrier=bollard bicycle=yes motor_vehicle=no
Split-path entrance

Force Dismounts

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Narrow Gate	Very narrow gate (<90 cm gap)	barrier=cycle_barrier bicycle=yes/dismount maxwidth=0.5
Swing Gate	Swing gate, can be opened and closed.	barrier=swing_gate bicycle=yes/dismount
Stairs with no trough		highway=steps ramp=no bicycle=dismount
Stairs with trough		highway=steps ramp=yes ramp:bicycle=yes bicycle=dismount
Lock crossing		bridge=yes surface=wood bicycle=dismount
Curb cut needed		bicycle=dismount

Intersections and other Road Crossings

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
All-way stop	Place stop sign on the intersection in OSM.	highway=stop
Two-way stop		highway=stop direction=forward/backward
Pelican Crossing (NEEDS REVIEW)	Mid-block crossing with traffic lights for pedestrians.	crossing-pelican highway=traffic_signals
Pedestrian Crossover with signs and road paint and flashing yellow lights	Also known as PXOs. These are mid-block crossings, designated by a variety of different signage treatments. They are not crosswalks, which are located at intersections. Cyclists may use PXOs, but are required by law to walk their bike. Either there are yellow lights that are always flashing or there is a button to activate the lights.	highway=footway footway=crossing crossing=controlled bicycle=dismount segregated=no flashing_lights=always/button
Pedestrian Crossover with signs and road paint	Also known as PXOs. These are mid-block crossings, designated by a variety of different signage treatments. They are not crosswalks, which are located at intersections. Cyclists may use PXOs, but are required by law to walk their bike.	highway=footway footway=crossing crossing=controlled bicycle=dismount segregated=no
Yield		highway=give_way direction=forward/backward
Traffic circle, no bypass
Traffic circle with bypass
Bicycle box	Also known as an advanced stop line (ASL). ASL nodes are located before the actual junction node, and are always connected to their junctions by the Way they're on.	cycleway=asl
Jug handle	These are places for the cyclists to pull off to the right, out of the stream of traffic, and await an opportunity to cross the road.	cycleway=asl
Cyclist-only left turn lane
Path or sidewalk crosses highway (without dedicated cycling infrastructure)	Places where there is only pedestrian infrastructure to cross a road.	highway=footway footway=crossing bicycle=dismount segregated=no
Cycleway and Footway and crosses highway (with segregated cycling infrastructure)	Places where there are both pedestrian and cycling infrastructure to cross a road. Just put one way and tag it for both pedesrians and cyclists.	highway=footway footway=crossing bicycle=yes segregated=yes
Cycleway crosses highway	Places where dedicated cycling infrastructure to cross a road.	highway=cycleway cycleway=crossing

Other tags for ways not shown

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Truck route		hgv=yes
Trucks prohibited		hgv=no
Bridge		bridge=yes bridge:name=*
Tunnel		tunnel=yes
Lighting		lit=yes
Operator		operator=NCC/City of Ottawa/Ville de Gatineau
Official name	Add name:en and name:fr if there are multilingual names. name must match either name:en or name:fr	name=* name:en=* name:fr=*

Points of Interest (Nodes)

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Bicycle Parking		amenity=bicycle_parking capacity=N
Drinking Water		amenity=drinking_water
Bench		amenity=bench
Waste Basket		amenity=waste_basket
Waste Basket		amenity=waste_basket
Bicycle Repair Station		amenity=bicycle_repair_station
Bicycle Share Station
Bicycle Counter		man_made=monitoring_station monitoring:bicycle=yes

Signs

Feature	Description	OSM Schema	Mapillary Photo
Share the road sign	Useful to tag as an advocacy target	traffic_sign=*
Single file sign	Useful to tag as an advocacy target	traffic_sign=*
Bike route sign	May be useful as way-finding if they come with a bike route number, but many are just generic green signs	traffic_sign=*
Walk your Bike	A permissive sign that indicates you may walk your bike. This sign does not make dismounting mandatory.Tagging them will be useful for indicating areas where there is insufficient space to share with pedestrians or where legal road crossing facilities have not been provided.	traffic_sign=*

JOSM Tips & Tricks

• Enable "Parking Lanes" style in JOSM to easily see existing parking tags
• Apply filter highway=* in JOSM (tick checkbox in Inverse column to hide everything but roads) - to avoid clutter and annoying landuse areas that stick to roads
• Use Mapillary or Kartaview street-level imagery to look sideways at signs.
• Don't bother with conditional parking. If parking is allowed at any point during the day then from stressmap point of view parking is allowed
• Cut ways if needed, when rules differ between blocks (In JOSM Ctrl-select road and node and press "P")
• If you have several roads with identical parking rules - just Ctrl-select them and add same tags

Tasking Manager

References

Before starting this OSM Cycling Task, read the following references to be familiar with the cycling OSM scheme.

• OSM Bike Ottawa Guide
• LTS Scheme

Tasks

This Tasking Manager will be divided into 2 tasks.

Task 1 - Parking Lane Configuration and Speed Limits (Beginner)

Mark as done in the Tasking Manager.

• maxspeed
• parking:lane:left
• parking:lane:right
• parking:lane:both

Possible values: parallel, marked, no_stopping, no_parking, fire_lane

More description of parking tags: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:parking:lane#Parking_position

Task 2 - Biking Conditions (Advanced)

Mark as validated in the Tasking Manager.

• highway
• smoothness
• parking:lane:left/right/both
• shoulder:left/right/both
• cycleway
• cycleway:buffer