OpenStreetMap

Overview

OpenStreetMap (OSM) is an open collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Volunteers gather location data using GPS, local knowledge, and other free sources of information and upload it. The resulting free map can be viewed and downloaded from the OpenStreetMap server: [http://www.OpenStreetMap.org].

Around the world highways are classified in different ways using different terms. OpenStreetMap attempts to apply a single classification system to all local conditions. For reasons of origin, the terms used within OSM are British English, resulting in an interstate highway in the USA. Highway tag usage provides more general information on how to interpret road classifications to local conditions.

A highway in OpenStreetMap is any road, route, way, or thoroughfare on land which connects one location to another and has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including motorised vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders, and others (but not trains).

A tag consists of two items, a key and a value. Tags describe specific features of map elements (nodes, ways, or relations) or changesets. Both items are free format text fields, but often represent numeric or other structured items (E.g. highway=residential).

Use in PMS

OSM vector layers are available to users with the Missing Edge Resolver role. Users with this role, when resolving missing edges and having envoked the line drawing tool, will automatically trace along the OSM edges. Alternativly, users with this role can access any of the OSM layer grids amd use the Grid Edit functionality to bulk mark OSM edges for import to the Missing Edges layer.

The OSM data was downloaded in a once off process during the summer of 2022. As opposed to other line feature layers in the PMS, the OSM layers are necessarilly rendered as vectors from the PMS WFS service. To this end, and to aid proformance in the web browser, we have split the data into 7 layers based on OSM’s ‘Highway’ attribute.

Residential

For a road along which people live.

Cycleway

For designated cycleways.

Footway & Pedestrian

For designated footpaths; i.e., mainly/exclusively for pedestrians. This includes walking tracks and gravel paths.

Services

For access roads to, or within an industrial estate, camp site, business park, car park, alleys, etc.

Bridleways, Paths & Steps

A non-specific path for horse riders. Pedestrians are usually also permitted, cyclists may be permitted depending on local rules/laws. Motor vehicles are forbidden. For flights of steps (stairs) on footways.

Tertiary

Smaller through roads linking cities, towns or villages, or linking suburbs within built up areas generally used only on roads wide enough to allow two cars to pass safely where adequate road markings are in place.

Track

Roads for mostly agricultural or forestry uses.