To Whom it may concern,
I have discovered some major errors in Paved Trails in California and how they are displayed. Currently all Paved Trails show up as alleys, driveways and very minor streets. In the file mapnik.typ, it shows as being Type = 0x007 Sub Type = 0x00 Driveways, Alleys. We in the San Francisco - Marin County (Marin Bicycle Trail)- Contra Costa County (Iron Horse Trail, Contra Costa Canal Trail, & etc. - Part of the East Bay Regional Park District (http://www.ebparks.org/parks/trails) have some of the finest paved trails in California, but they show up as very minor streets, alleys and driveways. I have also found the same error in the world famous American River Trail, Sacramento, Ca., it shows up as a minor streets driveway & alleys instead of a very beautiful 32 mile plus paved trail. Is it possible to globally change the OSM Master map, so that mapnik designation to a dedicated trail designation can be used??? Perhaps Mapnik.typ - Type 0x010 Sub Type 0x00. As it is right now minor residential streets show up as Paved Trails.
Thank You,
California RoadRunner
It sounds like you’re talking about Garmin maps here (mapnik.typ, 0x007 etc.). OpenStreetMap is essentially a database that lots of different maps are created from (Garmin maps, web maps, all sorts). The problem that you’re seeing might be (a) due to the way that the OSM data is converted to Garmin format or (b) it might be a problem in the underlying data.
(a) Lots of different Garmin maps that use OSM data are available: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin. It may be that the one that you’re using converts what you’re describing (which sounds like what OSM would call a “cycleway”) into a minor street, and that another Garmin map may not.
(b) Many of the smaller roads and tracks in the US were imported from TIGER data: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/TIGER. Some of what was imported very clearly does not match what is on the ground. Although some areas have been improved, many have not, and it could be that the areas that you’re referring to haven’t been.
To see which of (a) and (b) is a problem, could you go to OSM http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=9/38.3535/-121.5761 and zoom in on a problem area? The URL in the browser title bar will update as you move. Once you’ve zoomed in on a problem feature, you can use the question mark at the right of the browser window and click on it. You’ll get a link such as http://www.openstreetmap.org/way/8719631. In this example, this road was imported from Tiger and although it has been edited since hasn’t been reviewed (I’m guessing that it’s really not a residential road). If you can do this with some of the trails that you’re referring to and describe what they’re really like, they can be corrected if they’re wrong.
If you want to get involved and started helping update OpenStreetMap locally you might want to have a read of http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Beginners%27_guide. I suspect (based on the edits that I see there) that there are fewer mappers in the East Bay area than further west.
Other links - there’s a US forum here http://forum.openstreetmap.org/viewforum.php?id=20 but it’s pretty low traffic. There’s more on the US mailing list https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/ I think.
Thank you for the information. I found out what the problem is, other people have corrected the trails, but used the wrong designations. They used highway=cycleway without modifiers.
It should be highway=cycleway + foot=designated + segregated=no
Reference site
http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tag:highway=cycleway?uselang=en-US
I will need help in correcting the problem.
California RoadRunner
This is one designation:
highway=cycleway + foot=designated + segregated=no
There is a suggested alternate for Paved trails that is also listed:
**highway=path + bicycle=designated + foot=designated + segregated=no
**
I am not sure if this designation should be used or the former in my last message. They obviously will give different results.
I will need advise on how to continue.
California RoadRunner
“highway=cycleway” sounds correct to me for what you are describing. It would still be helpful if you could actually link to one, and if you could say which Garmin maps you are using.
By all means add other tags to provide more detail, such as “surface”, “width”, “segregated” etc., though they will likely have no effect on how it appears on your Garmin.
“foot” access is the default on cycleways in the US http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_tags_for_routing/Access-Restrictions so it’s doubtful that “foot=designated” adds any value here, although it does no harm either.
I believe that the use of “highway=path” in OSM originated in Germany where depending on the sign it may be illegal to walk on cycleways; it’s used extensively there (with individual tags such as “foot” and “bicycle” for access) for multimodal cycleways. The original concept of “cycleway” in OSM was for something designed for bicycle access but allowing foot access also.
To SomeoneElse,
I want to thank you very much for your assistance. The use of “highway=path” is European designation, you were correct. All of the links, you gave me answered all of my questions. It is a problem with Garmin in displaying OSM map data correctly. One last question, is it possible to change the display width of paved trails from one bit dashed line to a wider solid line.
California RoadRunner
To SomeoneElse,
I forgot to tell you that the maps being uploaded to the Garmin GPS is the Open Street Map supplied by Geofabrik. I use a program called Mapuploader 3 (Mapuploader 3 is freeware, the add-on’s are crippleware, most people will only use the Mapuploader 3 freeware only) to upload Open Street Maps into any Garmin GPS (fully routable) and to display the map (fully routable) in Garmin’s Base Camp program. It gives you the option of loading the data directly into the Garmin Unit/Base Camp or with a myriad of “typ files”. The Open Street Maps give far greater detail than the expensive Garmin Maps. By the way there is a program called mkgmap that is designed to make custom “style files” from OSM data.
California RoadRunner
Interesting - it looks like “Mapuploader 3” is a front-end for the (free) mkgmap. With mkgmap’s style files it is absolutely possible to change what items in OSM appear as on a Garmin. For example when I create Garmin maps (using mkgmap directly) it’s with a modified-from-the-default style, and one of the lines within the “lines” file in that style is as follows:
highway=cycleway {add access = no; add bicycle = yes; add foot = yes} [0x16 road_class=0 road_speed=1 resolution 23]
(I suspect at some point I’ve changed 0x07 to 0x16 at some point in the past)
You’ll probably be able to tinker with style settings in the same way.
To SomeoneElse,
I found the default file for mkgmap. I can modify it easily. Then use Mapuploader 3 to do the heavy work. Mapuploader 3 has it in two places under styles and also under mkgmap under examples/styles. I will be working on the East bay Parks regional Trails. I found major errors in the Contra Costa Trail, it suddenly disappears, when it parallels Briones to Mt Diablo Trail which is primarily a dirt trail. Contra Costa Trail is completely paved. Also, where the Iron Horse Trail ends in Dublin needs major revamping, because it goes to Dublin BART, the rest of the trail heads south under the 580 freeway and changes its name twice in 10 miles, it parallels the 680 freeway then veers sharply east to the Koll shopping center, a gravel trail then heads south towards Sunol. I am an avid bicycle rider and this is one of the rides I do. I ride my bicycle all over Northern California 50 to 80 miles at a time. Not bad for a 73 year young man.
I also mountain bike and do multi day bicycle touring & camping. I have an extensive catalogue of rides on my website, I have ridden every one of them, with turn by turn instructions and maps for people to download http://sites.google.com/site/calroadrunner . Now, you know why accurate maps are important to me.
Once Gain, Thank you for making the changes easy,
California RoadRunner
To All Interested Parties,
I mentioned mapuploader 3 (freeware) in this forum before. On his website you can download 2 style files the default style file is Garmin’s default file. it shows up near the top of the program on the left. it says style “default”. Download “os50” style file from his website and use this as the load style file instead of default. Then towards the bottom left, install your “typ file” mapnik, os50, or your own. The style files may already be installed with the program under styles folder. Follow his instructions precisely. both on program installation or it won’t run. You may also have to change file permissions or it wont run (especially mkgmap folder - do a global change on the whole folder). The os50 style file is designed to use for the whole world. it is a massive style file. It makes Garmin default file kind of anemic. You may want to change the os 50 typ file to tone down the colors. This is easily done with a program called Typviewer. It is a freeware viewer and EDITOR. Have fun.
California RoadRunner
P.S. To SomeoneElse,
I used the os50 style file and it correctly shows the cycleway, although he set it up as highway = path method instead of highway = cycleway, by doing it that way he can cover all the world using only one style file. Once again thank you for all of your help, I learned a lot from your advice.
California RoadRunner, maybe you can try the Openfietsmap cyclemap from http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl
Style and typ files can be found on https://github.com/ligfietser/mkgmap-style-sheets
Hello Every One,
I want to thank Ligfietser for the information. I downloaded your style sheets and it contained everything I needed. All I had to do was add some lines to your style file to accomplish exactly what I wanted. You did a great job on openfietsmap cyclemap, I read every line in your style file and found that it was virtually compete and I didn’t have to “reinvent the wheel”. I modified the typ file to color code all the streets for quick identification in Base Camp. I also added the capability to identify shoulder width if OSM Cartographers can add two new tags to OSM, mincyclewidth=value in meters (Minimum Cycle Lane or Shoulder Width - it can be Zero, for No Shoulder) and cycleway=shoulder. If the shoulder width is less than 0.50 meters then it automatically changes the color code from one color to another color to warn of a narrow or no shoulder condition. If the current tag that is being used in the USA cycleway=lane, that works, also. In the USA, shoulders and bike lanes are considered to be the same thing, since it can change in less than 20 meters from one to the other. Another tag that would be nice, but not necessary would be maxcyclewidth=value in meters (Maximum Cycle Width in meters.)
Larry - California RoadRunner