How to tag Tracks for Agricultural Access: A Practical Scenario

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1

This follows up on a discussion that still confuses me, as seen here: How to tag unpaved tracks primarily used for access to agricultural fields, with the exception of one residence or hotel?.

I’ve provided a real-world example below based on a typical scenario in Northern Thailand:

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  • The main tracks (A) provide access to multiple farmlands through adjacent tracks (B), where you may find ‘agricultural service buildings’ like huts or greenhouse structures.
  • Each farmland could have additional inland tracks (C) used to access crops.
  • Additionally, some old forestry track (D) may branch off the tracks to reach another area, but it’s not commonly used due to being in poor condition.

None of these tracks provide access to residential buildings or lodging.

Most of these tracks require a high-clearance pickup truck (standard vehicles in remote/mountainous areas), and a good portion of these tracks may be paved (concrete, concrete:lanes).

According to the wiki and the example above, how should tracks of categories A, B, C, and D be tagged?

Remember that tracks should be classified based on their function and not their surface alone.

  • highway=service (A,B), highway=track (C,D)
  • highway=service (A), highway=service+service=driveway (B) highway=track (C,D)
  • highway=track (A,B,C,D)
  • Other (please add it as a comment)
0 voters
3

Are there any residential buildings here? Or say hotels?

If there are solely for forestry and agriculture, not used to access villages or isolated dwellings then it would be all obvious highway=track

Description does not mention it (unless I missed it) but linked thread has “with the exception of one residence or hotel”

4

If the surface is paved, I personally wouldn’t say it was a “track” - more likely =unclassified. & again, if it’s paved, it shouldn’t need a high-clearance 4wd?

2

From my point of view, this cannot be answered without local knowledge. If I transfer the situation to my environment I would tag A with highway=unclassified, B with highway=service and C + D = highway=track. I say this because I use the existing tagging in my area as a guide. But I can also assume with a high degree of probability that a highway=unclassified or the equivalent of “A” is always paved (surface=asphalt).

Since in your case most of the ways are not paved, I would probably (by remote diagnosis) classify everything as highway=track. But as I said, hard to classify without local knowledge.