Routing Options in OSM Web Interface

zerubbabel · 2018-07-11T19:23:37.000Z

Perhaps I am missing something, but when asking for routing between two points it seems that only one route is offered, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to adjust that route.

kocio · 2018-07-11T20:15:41.000Z

Please report this problem here:

https://github.com/openstreetmap/openstreetmap-website/issues

zerubbabel · 2018-07-11T20:57:59.000Z

Ok, done. But my posting was almost immediately closed, because there is no intention to provide end-user routing options.

So now my question is this: Are there any other alternatives to Google Maps for end users who don’t have either the aptitude or the time to build their own or tinker with existing osm-based APIs? I, and I think many others, just want to avoid Google products as much as possible.

If openstreetmap.org just had a little bit more flexible routing capabilities, I would be satisfied. I don’t mind editing the maps to add POIs. I’ve added a dozen or so in the past few days. But I’m not up to building my own osm-based web application.

SK53 · 2018-07-12T19:23:58.000Z

The routing options offered on the main page are there to show that OSM data can be used for routing. I very much doubt that this facility will ever be extended to offer: a) alternative routes; b) via points; and c) route dragging.

The reasons are that the routing engines which provide the routes are all third-parties who also offer fully featured routing options as a business. Their co-operation is predicated on the synergies between getting a larger number of people exposed to their routing engine; more eyes improving routing data etc.

Additionally, the development & administration of the main OSM website is undertaken by volunteers in their spare time: additional routing features would likely require a lot of development and could overextend devops.

TZorn · 2018-07-12T20:12:42.000Z

zerubbabel:

So now my question is this: Are there any other alternatives to Google Maps for end users who don’t have either the aptitude or the time to build their own or tinker with existing osm-based APIs?

Sure, there are several. Here are a few I use (some more aming at bicycle or hiking routing):

https://routing.openstreetmap.de/?hl=en
http://map.project-osrm.org/?hl=en
https://www.komoot.com/plan/
http://brouter.de/brouter-web/
https://zikes.website/

Check out https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Routing/online_routers for more options.

escada · 2018-07-13T03:20:06.000Z

Besides the websites mentioned by TZorn, there are also several apps that use OSM data and offer routing: OsmAnd, maps.me, MagicEarth, MapFactor Navigator, OruxMaps, etc. They all offer offline maps, which means you do not need a data connection while navigating.

PHerison · 2018-07-13T06:25:57.000Z

I assume zerubbabel is looking for Routing-GUI/-Engine like Google:

Get the “best” route + alternative routes with 1 click
Add Via-Points to routs

zerubbabel · 2018-07-13T07:13:17.000Z

Well, I appreciate all the suggestions very much, but what I need is a web-based application, not an app for a handheld device. I’m an old-fashioned person who uses Debian Linux on the desktop. For most things I can get by with map.project-osrm.org for routing, although it would be nice to be able to tweak the route by click-and-drag as you can in Google Maps.

ligfietser · 2018-07-13T08:23:03.000Z

zerubbabel:

Well, I appreciate all the suggestions very much, but what I need is a web-based application, not an app for a handheld device. I’m an old-fashioned person who uses Debian Linux on the desktop. For most things I can get by with map.project-osrm.org for routing, although it would be nice to be able to tweak the route by click-and-drag as you can in Google Maps.

Try https://ridewithgps.com You can choose between routing with google maps or OSM.
https://youtu.be/5ZqE5pgQw-0

TZorn · 2018-07-14T15:58:21.000Z

zerubbabel:

For most things I can get by with map.project-osrm.org for routing, although it would be nice to be able to tweak the route by click-and-drag as you can in Google Maps.

Looks like the one you picked is a bit broken right now. But all the other sites I mentioned above do exactly what you are looking for.

zerubbabel · 2018-07-14T17:41:57.000Z

Thank you, I took another look at brouter, and figured out how to use it. komoot doesn’t seem to have an option for traveling by car.

With brouter, there doesn’t seem to be a way to just print the map with the route, but without the tabular information that is displayed in the left column.