Is it necessary to put street names on the highway links etc. and roundabouts?
I do not name these as they clutter the map and look un-necessary.
Firstly, you should not “tag for the renderer”, eg deliberately tag things incorrectly just to make one particular map look better. See http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tagging_for_the_renderer
If a roundabout or link road has its own name, then it should be tagged.
There are many roundabouts which have their own name, which is well known among locals, and may be signposted, so it is useful to have this on the map, and it is useful for giving directions.
If the roundabout (or link road) does not have its own name, then it is debatable as to how it should be tagged, eg do you give it the same name as the road crossing it? What if there are several roads all with different names meeting there? Maybe worth considering how a local might refer to the roundabout. Or how a GPS device might give directions - eg would it say “turn onto a roundabout”, or would it say “turn onto something street”.
Or you could ask the local council / government if the roundabout has an official name.
Though in many cases, the roundabout may not have any name, so don’t tag a name for it.
In might help if you discuss it with the local OSM community, giving a link to some specific examples.
Thanks for your reply.
For what it’s worth, what I tend to do:
If the roundabout has a sign on it giving a name, or the signs leading up to the roundabout give it a name, then obviously I use that.
Otherwise, I look at all the roads serving the roundabout.
If there is one road which is ‘larger’, ‘more important’ which runs either side of the roundabout, then I give the roundabout the same name as this road.
If the roundabout is at the end of the main road, or there are differently named main roads of equal classification serving the roundabout, then I leave it unamed.
Nick