Wiki edit footway vs path

[Woazboat]

@Langlaeufer

What I don’t think is a good idea is to interpret things into tags that aren’t documented and then later gradually change the definition of the tag because its use no longer fits the original (accepted) definition.
Such re-definitions are certainly sometimes necessary, but then please do so via a new proposal. If there is agreement on this, the proposal should go through quickly.

The wiki is descriptive, not prescriptive. It should document actual usage which often differs from proposals, especially very old ones.

@julcnx

I still believe the key difference between footway and path is about the main (legal) usage, not whether it’s paved or unpaved. So I don’t see any reason why a hiking trail that’s signposted for pedestrians only couldn’t be tagged as highway=footway.

I think what most people want at the end is to see paved/unpaved pathways rendered differently, which is completely fine, but that’s what other tags like surface and smoothness are meant for.

I’m not sure if you are aware of the recent very extensive discussions about highway=path here on the forum, but these points have come up and have been answered multiple times and I’d rather not re-hash the entire discussion here.

Alpinist routes marked as footpaths

I recently hiked a trail that was marked on OSM as a footpath. It turned out not to be that, but an alpinist route requiring special skills and equipment. After literally surviving it, I went back home and I removed the track from OSM. I got a message from the author, stating that they restored it as “being an expert alpinist track of great value” and telling me not to delete anything “that is not my competence”. I replied that I have surveyed the path myself, so I am competent enough to rat…

Alpinist routes marked as footpaths: A poll!

Topic Alpinist routes marked as footpaths was created in this community forum instead of going edit war. So far so good. In my opinion, the subject deserves community attention: Is tag highway=path appropriate to map pathless Alpinist routes over UIAA III terrain, intended for use by expert mountaineers? I opened a poll there, Alpinist routes marked as footpaths - #39 by Hungerburg – Please vote!

Consuming highway=path

I think many consumers of openstreetmap data are not aware of the breadth of what highway=path can represent. Examples from the last weeks: Alpinist routes marked as footpaths Tagging an informal path that is steep, rocky and unsuitable for any form of wheeled access Perhaps the documentation is not upfront comprehensible and in need of change? I imagine something like an ambox? Consumers beware: A path in OSM can be 2+m wide and paved with asphalt or a MTB downhill or just the idea of a si…

Consuming highway=path, Take 2

The previous topic got long winded, see Consuming highway=path Some worthwhile comments were posted. From what I have learned, I propose do add an ambox like message to consumers of openstreetmap data to the documentation: Consumers beware: Highway=path is a very broad tag that can represent anything from a several meters wide paved construction – over what the heading picture shows – up to the idea of where some unspecific terrain can be passed through, without any markings on the ground. G…

Consuming highway=path, Take 3

This the third instantiation of trying to cope with reality: There is no use in adding more language to the documentation. There is already too much text there, in my opinion. Still, I’d like to at least change the top picture and I made a collage: [Paths] File:Openstreetmap Paths Collage.jpg - Wikimedia Commons It shows three locations: 1) So called shared use (municipal) infrastructure, that featured highly in the process of proposing the tag. 2) A path in the woods, something that was pro…

TLDR:
It’s ridiculous and actively endangering people and causing rescue operations that these two kinds of ways are using the same tag in OSM.

highway=footway/cycleway/bridleway/path are about more than just legal access and have implications about the quality of the path and the practicality of using it. Sub-tags can mitigate some of this but are inadequate for solving this issue.

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As a sidenote, I’m curious why people keep insisting that footway/cycleway is only about legal access when that is completely untrue for other highway=* tags.