Baltimore, Maryland/Bus Routes
Baltimore editors are working on adding all MTA, local university, and other bus routes to OpenStreetMap. This process uses relations under the new public transportation proposal.
Best Practices & Procedures
JOSM is the best editor for managing complex linear relations, especially when paired with the Public Transport plugin. There are many advantages to having public transport routes on OpenStreetMap, including many unknown to me (--ElliottPlack 15:23, 9 January 2013 (UTC)). This is why it is best to adhere to the documented methods of mapping the routes.
Tackling a project on such a massive scale works best when broken down. We've decided to break it down into phases.
Phase 0: Planning
Before beginning we had to decide on a few standards. We decided that all routes in the Baltimore area will have the network=Baltimore attribute. We also decided bus operators would be spelled out fully, not abbreviated.
Phase I: Routes
Visually, the most rewarding thing about adding bus route relations is having them appear on the Transport slippy map on the main page. Thus, phase I is mapping routes alone.
Begin by reviewing official schedules and route maps. Using JOSM, select the ways of the bus route in order and then add them to a relation. Working with TIGER street data in Baltimore is tricky, because many roads exist as long ways with many intersections, especially in downtown areas. Before adding disjointed segments to the relation, split them at the intersection where the bus turns. In JOSM, the relation editor will indicate if there are any gaps in the relation. When complete, save changes and then select the relation via the JOSM select procedure (close the relation editor). Using the public transport plugin is the best procedure for tagging the route.
Useful Links
Progress - BaltimoreLink, ExpressLink, & Commuter Routes
BaltimoreLink is a nearly complete overhaul of bus routes, implemented on June 18, 2017. Editors are tracking their progress on these new lines using this Google spreadsheet. The commuter routes (those numbered 200 and above) are unaffected by the changes.
BaltimoreLink Relations
The following tags are being used for the new relations of BaltimoreLink routes:
- network=BaltimoreLink
- name=CityLink or LocalLink XX: [destination]
- public_transport:version=2
- start_date:2017-06-18
- operator=Maryland Transit Administration
BaltimoreLink Naming/Numbering System
The numbering/color system is as follows:
- Colors: CityLink routes (high frequency)
- Numbers 20-49: Crosstown routes that travel around the central core.
- Numbers 50-99: Radial routes that travel toward/away from the central core.
Progress - Legacy Routes
These local bus lines were replaced by the BaltimoreLink system, on June 18, 2017.
