Lynchburg VA Area Import

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Lynchburg VA Area Address Import is a proposed one-time import of Virginia Address Points, covering the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area, excluding Lynchburg City as address data is mostly complete, and excluding Appomattox County for purposes of scale.

Goals

To improve the area around Lynchburg and surrounding counties by filling missing address data for the purpose of navigation. Previous imports of this dataset have been carried out in neighboring counties such as the Rockbridge County, Virginia Address Import and this import will follow similar standards for data processing for cohesion in the geographical area.

Schedule

Background

Proposal started: 2024-09-12

Data formatting complete: 2024-09-20

Import beginning goal: 2024-10-01

Import completion goal: 2024-12-01

Import Data

Virginia Address Points: https://hub.arcgis.com/datasets/VGIN::virginia-address-points/about
Type of license: Public Domain

The quality of this dataset in the counties of interest is high, and no significant modifications to the data will be necessary aside from field conversion to OSM standards. This includes converting road names out of uppercase, and expanding abbreviations.

Import Type

One Time Import for the first three counties, with possible second round for Appomattox County and other adjacent counties.

Status

The data is split in 400 batches of approximately 2-5 square mile clusters, generated with QGIS k-means clustering. The batches have a mean size of 217 addresses and a median size of 115 addresses, although the maximum batch size is 1,783 address points due to the density near Lynchburg city.

Batch	Changeset ID	Batch	Changeset ID	Batch	Changeset ID	Batch	Changeset ID	Batch	Changeset ID	Batch	Changeset ID	Batch	Changeset ID	Batch	Changeset ID
0	157098081	50		100		150		200		250		300		350
1	157098399	51		101		151		201		251		301		351
2	157100409	52		102		152		202		252		302		352
3	157100506	53		103		153		203		253		303		353
4	157101551	54	157145692	104		154		204		254		304		354
5	157101625	55		105		155		205		255		305		355
6	157102391	56		106		156		206		256		306		356
7	157141044	57		107		157		207		257		307		357
8	157141167	58		108		158		208		258		308		358
9	157141368	59		109		159		209		259		309		359
10	157141533	60		110		160		210		260		310		360
11	157141700	61		111		161		211		261	157145505	311		361
12	157141815	62		112		162		212		262		312		362
13	157142315	63		113		163		213		263		313		363
14	157142458	64		114		164		214		264		314		364
15	157142581	65		115		165		215		265		315		365
16	157142657	66		116		166		216		266		316		366
17	157142846	67		117		167		217		267		317		367
18	157142932	68		118		168		218		268		318		368
19	157143024	69		119		169		219		269		319		369
20	157143379	70		120		170		220		270		320		370
21		71		121		171		221		271		321		371
22		72		122		172		222		272		322		372
23		73		123		173		223		273		323		373
24		74		124		174		224		274		324		374
25		75		125		175		225		275		325		375
26		76		126		176		226		276		326		376
27		77		127		177		227		277		327		377
28		78		128		178		228	157145312	278		328		378
29		79		129		179		229		279		329		379
30		80		130		180		230		280		330		380
31		81		131		181		231		281		331		381
32		82		132		182	157100851	232		282		332		382
33		83		133		183		233		283		333		383
34		84		134		184		234		284		334		384
35		85		135		185		235		285		335		385
36		86		136		186		236		286		336		386
37		87		137		187		237		287		337		387
38		88		138		188		238		288		338		388
39		89		139		189		239		289		339		389
40		90		140		190		240		290		340		390
41		91		141		191		241		291		341		391
42		92		142		192		242		292		342		392
43		93		143		193		243		293		343		393
44		94		144		194		244		294		344		394
45		95		145		195		245		295		345		395
46		96		146		196		246		296		346		396
47		97		147		197		247		297		347		397
48		98		148		198		248		298		348		398
49		99		149		199		249		299		349		399

Data Preparation

The processed batches can be found at this Google Drive folder, including a map of each batch's ID and approximate size.

Tagging Plans

Tag	Example Data
addr:housenumber	14
addr:street	Riverview Lane
addr:city	Concord
addr:state	VA
addr:postcode	24430
addr:unit	Contains unit identifier
Key:addr:unit:label	Contains unit designator

A dedicated user account, shared between verified contributors to the import, will be used to carry out this import. Lynchburg MSA Address Import

Data formatting

The latest .txt file of the VGIN dataset was downloaded 2024-09-11 from [[1]]. This file was processed with an already-existing python script by @tekim created for the Rockbridge import. The script used can be found in this Dropbox data folder hosted by user @pmfox. The counties of interest were extracted as .csv files, which were then converted to .geojson and processed using QGIS to split the data into manageable batches.

Data Merge Workflow

Plugin requirements: BuildingsTools, Conflation, Colored Streets map style, MapWithAI for QA validation

Each batch will be processed as follows:

1. Open the relevant batch_id_###.geojson file using JOSM.
2. Open the Virginia Imagery Service - Most Recent imagery layer.
3. Select all points, and remove the batch_id field.
4. Onto a new layer, download from OSM to use as the merge layer.
5. Select all "addr:housenumber" on the downloaded layer, then open the Conflation plugin and FREEZE the Subject layer.
6. Select all address nodes on the import layer, then open the Conflation plugin and FREEZE the Reference layer.
7. Resolve matches and conflicts on a case-by-case basis. Add a fixme tag when unsure.
8. Select all entries in the "Reference only" tab and press Conflate.
9. Using the Colored Streets map style in JOSM, visually verify addresses are the same color and name as their associated street. If there is a discrepancy between the street and the address, check for typos and cross reference with official VGIN sources, as many roads in this area have not been updated since the TIGER import and are incorrect. Update the street name as necessary. Road geometry and TIGER tag cleanup is out of the scope of this import.
10. For apartment buildings, this dataset frequently separates every unit into its own address. Merge these nodes into a single node for the building, with the Key:addr:flats field containing all unit numbers (can be expressed as a range or series of ranges according to the wiki page).
11. On the downloaded layer, select buildings and address nodes in a small working area and use the Merge Address Points function of BuildingsTools. Do not select all on the layer, as this process requires manual verification- occasionally address nodes are misaligned to building footprints and require an adjustment before merging. If multiple addresses exist in one building footprint, leave the addresses as nodes.
12. Use JOSM's validator with MapWithAI installed at time of upload and resolve any errors or warnings related to addresses.
13. Upload using the dedicated import account with the changeset comment "Lynchburg VA area address import - batch ###" and place the resulting changeset link in the table above for coordination.

Discussion

https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/proposed-import-lynchburg-virginia-area-addresses/118681

QA

JOSM and MapWithAI's QA functionality will be used to validate each changeset.