Key:access

access
Description
For describing the legal accessibility of an element.
Group: Restrictions
Used on these elements
Documented values: 20
Useful combination
highway=* leisure=* railway=* amenity=* waterway=*
Status: de facto
access=* More details at taginfo More details at taginfo
Tools for this tag
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Use access tags to describe the allowed or preferred level of access along a footpath, road or any other kind of way element.

Values

• access=unknown The access conditions are unknown or unclear. This is the default value for most features.
• access=yes The public has an official, legally-enshrined right of access, i.e. it's a right of way.
• access=designated The way is a preferred/designated route for a specific vehicle type or types (by law or otherwise) but not compulsory, often marked by a traffic sign.
• access=official The way is dedicated to a specific mode of travel by law. Usually marked by traffic signs and exclusive. In Germany use is also compulsory.
• access=destination The public has right of access only if this is the only road to your destination.
• access=agricultural Only for agricultural traffic.
• access=forestry Only for forestry traffic.
• access=delivery This route may only be used to deliver goods to a customer.
• access=permissive The owner gives general permission for access.
• access=private The owner may give permission on an individual basis.
• access=no Access by this transport mode is not permitted, public does not have a right of way.

Transport mode restrictions

Use the access=* key to describe a general access restriction (all transport modes). This may be tightened or relaxed by adding keys which describe access for more specific modes of transport. These keys each have a place in an implied tree structure in which keys become narrower in scope as they branch out from the root.

The values which indicate the conditions of access for a particular mode of transport are listed below. You can also find some examples at the bottom.

Land-based transportation

This hierarchy is different in each country. So it's possible that your country has vehicle classes which aren't in this list, doesn't have some which are, and some vehicle classes may even have a different definition from the one listed below:

• access=* (category: any land-based transportation mode)
  • Moving without a vehicle
    • foot=* (pedestrians)
    • ski=*
      • ski:nordic=* (cross-county skiing)
      • ski:alpine=* (downhill skiing)
      • ski:telemark=* (telemark (free-heel) skiing)
    • inline_skates=*
    • ice_skates=*
    • climbing=*
    • hiking=*
  • horse=* (horse riders)
  • vehicle=* (category: any vehicle)
    • Non-motorized vehicle
      • Single-tracked
        • bicycle=* (cyclists)
      • Double-tracked
        • carriage=* (horse(s) + carriage)
        • wheelchair=* (physical access for wheelchair users)
    • motor_vehicle=* (category: any motorized vehicle)
      • Single-tracked
        • motorcycle=* (a two-wheeled motor vehicle, allowed to drive on motorways)
        • moped=* (motorized bicycles with a speed restriction; e.g., at most a 50 cc engine or max. speed of about 45 km/h)
        • mofa=* ("low performance moped", usually with a maximum design speed of 25 km/h)
      • Double-tracked
        • motorcar=* (category: motor vehicles with more than 2 wheels/more than 1 track)
          • hov=* (high-occupancy vehicle, means 3 or more persons per vehicle traveling together to work)
          • blue_badge_holder=* disabled=*(holders of blue badge (UK) or other such disabled persons' permit. Used on traffic signs to exempt said group from access restrictions; not just regarding parking)
        • caravan=* (needs to be towed by another vehicle which has its own restrictions)
        • goods=* (light commercial vehicles; e.g., goods vehicles with a maximum allowed mass of up to 3.5 tonnes)
        • hgv=* (heavy goods vehicle; e.g., goods vehicles with a maximum allowed mass over 3.5 tonnes)
        • psv=* (public service vehicle)
          • bus=* (a bus acting as a public service vehicle)
          • taxi=* (taxi)
        • ATV (Restricted to or permissive for vehicles 50 in (1.27 m) or less in width) still in proposal stage. You may want to use maxwidth=1.27 instead.
        • snowmobile=*
      • By use
        • hov=* (high occupancy vehicle - usually more than 2 persons)
        • agricultural=* (agricultural motor vehicles (e.g., tractors) that have additional restrictions (e.g., a 25 km/h speed limit))
        • forestry=*
        • emergency=* (category: emergency motor vehicles; e.g., ambulance, fire truck, police car)
        • hazmat=* (motor vehicles carrying hazardous materials)

Not in the list: hybrid cars, electric cars, 4wd_only, (should that be "hgv_caravan" or "road_train"?), tractor.

Water-based transportation

• access=* (category: any water-based transportation mode)
  • boat=* (covers small boats and pleasure crafts, including yachts)
    • motorboat=* (boats and yachts using motor, on also for sailing boats using the motor)
    • sailboat=* (boats and yachts using sails, on doing way with sail, not using the motor (according to the definition of the Colreg))
    • canoe=* (boats without sail or motor, such as small dingies, canoes, kayaks, etc.)
  • fishing_vessel=* (covers fishing vessels of any size)
  • ship=* (covers comersial vessels of any size and any trade)
    • passenger=* (ships carrying passengers, either in route (ferries, etc.) or as cruise)
    • cargo=* (any type of cargo ship)
      • bulk=* (covers all dry bulk cargo)
      • tanker=* (covers all wet bulk cargo, including compressed gas)
        • tanker:gas=* (compressed or liquified gas)
        • tanker:oil=* (crude oil and oil products
        • tanker:chemical=* (all other products in tanks)
        • tanker:singlehull=* (special coverage for single hull as most of Europe and US have more restrictive rules for single hull tankers than for double hull. The general tag is for double hull if this tag is in use.)
      • container=* (collective tag for general cargo)
      • imdg=* (dangerous cargo covered by the IMDG code (International Marine Dangerous Goods))
    • ISPS=* or isps=* (International Ship and Port Facility Security Regulation.)

As suggested, see discussion.

Rail-based transportation

• access=* (category: any rail-based transportation mode)
  • train=* (trains)

Routing restrictions

One-way restrictions

Ways may have different access restrictions for each direction. The most simple case is a way designated as a oneway road:

• oneway=yes driving is only allowed in the direction of the way
• oneway=-1 driving is only allowed against the direction of the way
• oneway=no default, access is allowed in both directions (this key/value combination does not need to be added to ways)

For more complex direction dependent restrictions, the postfixes :backward and :forward can be used on the keys, for example:

• bicycle:backward=no (when a road has a oneway cycleway next to it that must be used, and a cyclelane in the other direction)
• bicycle:backward=yes (when cyclists are allowed to travel in both directions on a oneway street (but no lane is present))

Also in use when cyclists are allowed to travel in the opposite direction

• cycleway=opposite
• cycleway=opposite_lane (only if a separate lane exists)
• cycleway=opposite_track (only if a separate track exists)
• bicycle:oneway=no
• oneway:bicycle=no (consistent with tags based on conditions)

The oneway tag can be translated (for routing purposes) to this generic system as follows (oneway restrictions presumably do not apply to pedestrians):

• oneway=yes to vehicle:backward=no
• oneway=-1 to vehicle:forward=no

Access time restrictions

• date_on=YYYY-MM-DD Sets the start date for an access closure
• date_off=YYYY-MM-DD Sets the end date for an access closure
• day_on=monday/tuesday/wednesday/... Closure each week starts at the beginning of this day
• day_off=monday/tuesday/wednesday/... Closure each week ends at the end of this day
• hour_on=HH:MM:SS Closure starts at this time
• hour_off=HH:MM:SS Closure ends at this time

Size and statutory restrictions

Keys

• maxweight=*
• maxaxleload=*
• maxheight=* height restriction
• maxheight:physical=* physical height restriction
• maxwidth=* (Also note width=* for the physical width of the entire road.)
• maxlength=*
• maxdraught=*
• maxspeed=*
• minspeed=*
• maxstay=* (maximum parking time)

Values

The values should not be entered with any unit. For lengths use metre, for weights use metric tons and for times use hours. Decimal numbers should be entered with a point '.'.

Examples

Transport mode restrictions

• access=private There is no public access (unless relaxed by another tag from below).
• foot=yes The public has a right of way when traveling on foot.
• bicycle=yes The public has a right of way when traveling on a bicycle.
• horse=designated The route is designated for use by equestrians.
• motorcycle=unknown It is unclear whether motorcycles can use this section.
• motorcar=private The owner must give access to cars on an individual basis. Access by car is private, eg on a private road.
• goods=no General goods vehicle traffic is not allowed.
• hgv=no Heavy goods vehicle traffic is not allowed.
• boat=no Waterway is not navigable by boat.
• oneway=yes + psv=opposite_lane The street is one way for cars but there is one opposite lane for buses and taxis.

Routing restrictions

One-way restrictions

A one-way street with a contra-flow cycle lane

This street (Burton Street, North Sydney) is a one-way street with a cycle lane in the opposite direction. It can be described using the following tags:

• highway=unclassified
• oneway=yes
• cycleway=opposite_lane

Size and statutory restrictions

• maxweight=7 The restricted weight limit in tonnes, eg 7 t
• maxaxleload=3.5 The restricted weight limit per axle in tonnes, eg 3.5 t
• maxheight=2.5 The restricted headroom limit in metres, eg 2.5 m
• maxwidth=3 The restricted width limit in metres, eg 3 m
• maxlength=15 The restricted length limit in metres, eg 15 m
• maxdraught=1 The maximum boat draught depth for navigation in metres, eg 1 m
• maxspeed=110 The restricted speed limit in km/h, eg 110 km/h
• minspeed=50 The minimum speed required in km/h , eg 50 km/h
• maxstay=14 days The maximum stay permitted; units in the tag as either hour/hours or day/days.

See also

• Access-Restrictions
• access=designated - different explicit administrative designations (like footway, cycleway, bridleway)
• highway=cycleway
• highway=footway
• highway=bridleway
• Approved features/More access keys and values