WikiProject Cleanup/Public transport
This page lists wiki pages related to public transport mapping that require cleanup. At present, many different tagging schemes are documented, and many more are in use. This project aims at developing a consistent information base for public transport mapping in the wiki. Let's try to identify the tagging schemes documented in the wiki, decide on their status, delete deprecated descriptions and make all information coherent.
In the initial stage only articles written in English are considered. Once we have successfully improved on these, translations can be done.
Not included in the list are wiki pages related to public transport mapping in particular areas (such as "bus lines in London"), to aviation, and user pages.
If a page is missing, feel free to add it to the list.
Buses
Summary:
Overview of bus stop and bus route mapping, comparing different approaches.
Disputed/Problems:
On bus stops:
- Bus stops are normally tagged using a node tagged highway=bus_stop beside the highway at the point where passengers would wait immediately prior to boarding the vehicle. This may be in a suitably positioned bus shelter, or by the bus stop pole. It might be a few meters from the point where one enters the vehicle. Add the name of the stop (as it appears on the stop, or on a timetable).
- Tagging the bus stop poles is different to the normal approach for tram stops, which typically use a node on the track. Some people tag a node on the road, particularly those following the unified_stoparea schema (used mostly in areas with extensive tram services).
On route relations (compare #Trams):
- Bus services (eg No. 38) are mapped by making the ways (roads) that the bus runs on members of a relation. Ideally the ways should be in the correct order, though ordering the members isn't possible in some editors (eg not in Potlatch 1.4). The bus stops should also be members of the relation and ordered (after the ways). The relation should be tagged with type=route+route=bus/route=trolleybus+ref=38. See Relation:Route (Bus) for further details. If a bus operates over the same way twice, the way should be a member twice (not possible in Potlatch 1.4), but note this has been known to be problematical (check whether this is still a problem).
- You can use one relation for both directions combined, or one for each direction (there are many examples of both approaches). It is probably easier to use separate relations if a service branches, with the common section in both relations.
How to improve:
Discuss recommendations, take other variants into account (new proposal), provide simple quick start guide. This is solved by aprooved proposal Public Transport.
Ferries
Summary:
Stub.
Disputed/Problems:
How to improve:
Needs elaboration.
Öpnvkarte
Summary:
Documents how public transport tags are parsed by Öpnvkarte (openbusmap).
Disputed/Problems:
Could be understood as a how-to on bus route mapping. Refers to User:Oxomoa/Public transport schema.
How to improve: I marked this differences using amboxes. U30303020 (talk) 10:48, 19 August 2018 (UTC)
Proposed feature/platform
Summary:
Approved proposal for railway=platform.
Disputed/Problems:
How to improve:
Proposed features/Public Transport
Summary:
An approved proposal for a standardized public transport mapping scheme.
Disputed/Problems:
How to improve:
The approved proposal has to be integrated into the already existing feature pages.
Proposed features/unified stoparea
Summary:
A "proposal to unify and extend tagging schemes for public transport". RFC in 2009, no voting. Recommends to put highway=bus_stop on ways.
Disputed/Problems:
This proposal has never been approved, but is mentioned on several wiki pages related to public transport mapping, which is confusing.
How to improve:
Add a note/warning about the status of this proposal.
Public Transport
Summary:
Overview of public transport features, subdivided into "Buses", "Railways", "Trams", Aircraft, "Ferries" and "Cable cars". Another section on "Service routes".
Disputed/Problems:
Flooded with references to #Proposed features/unified stoparea, which is in dispute.
Weak chapter on trams (how to map stops?).
On route relations:
- A Route is a relation that describes the physical path taken by the vehicles through the infrastructure by a transit service which is known to the public with a particular reference or name. A route should contain an unordered list of all ways used by the service. The option 'role' should be used on any one-way sections of route and should contain either 'forwards' or 'backwards' as appropriate. The Route can also include details of the actual Stop Places or Accesses used by passengers however this can also be detailed in the Line Variant relation (see below).
How to improve:
Rework the whole page as soon as consensus has been reached. Until then, remove references to unified stoparea, add a note that public transport mapping is in dispute, and explain only the most commonly used practices.
Railways
Summary:
Feature page about railway tracks (the physical part). Has a summary of the railway=* tags.
Disputed/Problems:
How to improve:
Train routes
Summary:
List of tags on train route relations; networks by countries.
Disputed/Problems:
Only a short summary of #Route:relation. Insufficient as a beginner's guide.
How to improve:
Either elaborate or just link to #Route:relation.
redirected to Tag:route=train and link to Railway --Tigerfell 
(Let's talk) 09:00, 19 November 2018 (UTC)
Trams
Summary:
Page about tram stop and tram route mapping.
Disputed/Problems:
On stops:
- Stops are marked by a single node railway=tram_stop. At the simplest, this is a node on the track, but it can be to the side, at the position where passengers wait to catch the tram (an example here).
- You can also add ways/areas that are tagged railway=platform or highway=platform to represent the boarding areas.
On route relations (compare #Buses):
- Tram service routes can be added to OSM by adding all of the relevant ways to a relation. This should be tagged with type=route and route=tram. It's also useful to add the service number using ref=*, and the name of the service (eg "Blue line" or "A-B service") using name=*. The ways should ideally be ordered (not possible in Potlatch 1.4), and a list of stops added after the ways.
- There is some debate about what should be in the list of stops. Some have proposed tagging and listing both stopping positions and boarding locations.
- Tram routes can use separate relations for each direction, or combine the two directions (both methods are in use). If the service has two branches, it is generally simpler to use two relations, one for each branch, with the common section in both.
How to improve:
Discuss recommendations, take other variants into account (new proposal), remove references to unified stoparea.
Relation:route
Summary:
How to map public transport (and other) routes.
Disputed/Problems:
Relation members - probably based on unified stoparea:
- Way | (blank)/route | zero or more | the ways making up the route.
- Way | forward/backward | zero or more | if a route should only be followed in one direction for some or all of its length, the "role" can indicate this for some or all of the constituent ways. "forward" means the route follows this way only in the direction of the way and "backward" means the route runs only against the direction of the way. Rendered on the cycle map (example).
- Way | north/south/east/west | zero or more | in North America road are signed with their orientation
- Way | link | zero or more | Link roads (highway=*_link) from and to the route. See highway=motorway_link!
- Node | stop:<number> | zero or more | A Bus stop or train halt, on the route. The number starts with 0. This is not needed to preserve order of stops in API v0.6, just use role=stop and change the order of the stops in the relation.
- Node | forward/backward:stop:<number> | zero or more | A Bus stop or train halt, on the route, which is only be used in one direction. The direction is related to the direction of the way, nothing to do with towards/away from any bus station or terminus. This is not needed to preserve order of stops in API v0.6, just use role=forward/backward_stop and change the order of the stops in the relation.
- Node | stop | zero or more | A Bus stop or train halt/station, on the route.
- Node | forward/backward:stop | zero or more | A Bus stop or train halt, on the route, which is only be used in one direction. The direction is related to the direction of the way, nothing to do with towards/away from any bus station or terminus.
How to improve:
Rework the whole public transport part as soon as consensus has been reached. Until then, at least add a note that there are different approaches.
- Partially updated, partially marked. Some reduction in content for the sake of maintainability. U30303020 (talk) 12:28, 19 August 2018 (UTC)
Key:aerialway
Summary:
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Key:amenity
Summary:
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Tag:amenity=bus_station
Summary:
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Tag:amenity=ferry_terminal
Summary:
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Tag:amenity=taxi
Summary:
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Key:highway
Summary:
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Tag:highway=bus_stop
Summary:
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Tag:highway=platform
Summary:
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Key:public_transport
Summary:
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Tag:public_transport=platform
Summary:
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Tag:public_transport=stop_ position
Key:railway
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Tag:railway=halt
Summary:
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Tag:railway=platform
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Tag:railway=station
Summary:
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Tag:railway=subway_entrance
Summary:
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Tag:railway=tram_stop
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Key:route
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
How to improve:
Tag:route=bus
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Tag:route=ferry
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Tag:route=railway
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Tag:route=train
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Tag:route=tram
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
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Tag:route=trolleybus
Summary:
Disputed/Problems:
How to improve:
Related links
- https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/differences-in-wiki-articles-about-public-transport/98403 Thread in communities about the differences in the wiki articles related to public transportation for buses.