Proposal:Key:bus stop:type
| Key:bus stop:type | |
|---|---|
| Proposal status: | Draft (under way) |
| Proposed by: | Tantanws |
| Tagging: | bus_stop:type=bay, bulb, lane, parking_lane, terminal
|
| Applies to: | 
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| Definition: | Describes the physical layout/geometry of the road at the bus stop. |
| Statistics: |
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| Draft started: | 2025-04-02 |
Proposal
This proposal formalizes the tag bus_stop:type=* to describe the road geometry where a bus stops to board passengers. While it is currently used in parts of Germany and Israel, this proposal aims to standardize the values globally.
The tag is primarily used on nodes tagged with highway=bus_stop (or public_transport=platform). It provides crucial information for:
- Accessibility: Bulb stops allow for easier level boarding for disabled passengers as the bus can pull up flush to the curb.
- Routing/Planners: Knowing if a bus stops "in-lane" (no need for the bus to move out of traffic) or in a "bay" (requiring the bus to move out and merge back into traffic, causing potential delays).
Rationale
Current tagging like bus_bay=yes is applied to the road (way), but there is no consistent way to identify the stop's geometry on the stop node itself. Different geometries have significant impacts:
- Bays can be difficult for buses to enter and exit in heavy traffic, leading to scheduling delays.
- Bulbs (curb extensions) prioritize the bus by keeping it in the travel lane and provide more waiting space for pedestrians on the sidewalk.
- Lane (In-lane) stops are common but can temporarily block following traffic.
As shown on Taginfo, this tag is already in use (3,500+ instances). Formalizing it will prevent a fragmentation of values.
Tagging
| Value | Description | Image |
|---|---|---|
| bay | A "pull-out" area indented into the sidewalk. The bus leaves the main travel lane to stop. | 
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| bulb | A "bus bulb" or curb extension. The sidewalk extends into the road (usually into a parking lane), allowing the bus to stay in its travel lane while stopping. | 
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| lane | Also known as "in-lane." The bus stops directly in the travel lane on a street with no parking or indented area. This is the geometry of the road, regardless of whether it is a dedicated bus lane. | 
|
| parking_lane | The bus stops within a section of the street otherwise used for on-street parking. While the bus pulls out of the travel lane (similar to a bay), the curb line remains straight, and the stop is typically flanked by parking spaces before or after it.
When in doubt if to use parking_lane or bay it is better to fall back for the more general bay |
|
| terminal | A designated platform inside a large bus station (amenity=bus_station), often sawtooth or parallel, not part of a public street.
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Examples
- A standard city bus stop where the sidewalk is widened into the parking lane:
highway=bus_stop+bus_stop:type=bulb - A suburban bus stop with a dedicated pull-out area:
highway=bus_stop+bus_stop:type=bay - A stop on a main road where the bus simply stops in the right-hand lane:
highway=bus_stop+bus_stop:type=lane
Features/Pages affected
- Tag:highway=bus_stop (will be listed as an optional property)
- Key:bus_bay (related tag used on ways)
External discussions
Comments
Please comment on the discussion page.