Tag:bicycle=use_sidepath
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Description |
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Compulsory cycleway aside ![]() |
Group: restrictions |
Used on these elements |
Useful combination |
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Status: approved![]() |
Tools for this tag |
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This tag bicycle=use_sidepath
applies only to roads with a classification that allows cycling generally. When a road has a parallel compulsory cycleway (e.g. (DE, PL),
(DE, FI, IT, PL),
(NL) or
(several European countries) this tag can be applied. But only when this road does not have a traffic sign which explicitly forbids bicycling (e.g.
or
). In that case use
bicycle=no
.
The tag bicycle=use_sidepath
should only be applied in countries that have compulsory cycleways.
Please do not use bicycle=use_sidepath
in combination with cycleway=track
or cycleway=lane
on the main highway, if there is no separate cycleway drawn on the map.
This is confusing for routing engines because bicycle=use_sidepath
indicates not to route on the main highway (use the separate cycleway) and this conflicts with the tags cycleway=track
and cycleway=lane
, which indicates that bicycles are allowed to route on (bike lanes connected to) the main highway. See Osmose for reported problems on this.
Legal and access implications may and will vary between countries. The implications of these traffic signs on many specials vehicles and situations varies so much that it would need a lot of new tags to express this in OSM. There is no need to do this if the legal situation is clear. With a new country specific access scheme (=concept) on compulsory cycleways and their parallel roads it should give routers and renderers enough information for any type of vehicle/situation.
Note that in some cases cyclist may be allowed to use bicycle=use_sidepath
ways while not allowed to use bicycle=no
ways in any case at all. For example in Poland in general cyclist is not allowed to use road if parallel cycleway exists, unless it is unavoidable to go in some direction.

bicycle=no
would be incorrect, but in general cyclists are supposed to avoid it
bicycle=no
would be wrong and result in incorrect routing. bicycle:forward=use_sidepath
is a correct tagging here (or maybe bicycle=use_sidepath
, law is not clear).How to tag
This tag applies to ways where a separate (cycle)way is drawn.
bicycle=use_sidepath
cycleway=separate
(cycleway:left=separate
/ cycleway:right=separate
/ cycleway:both=separate
variants) indicates, that there a separate (cycle)way is drawn. But it does not make any statement about whether that separately mapped cycle path is compulsory or not.
bicycle=use_sidepath
implies that there is a separately mapped cycle path nearby, but not where it is, so cycleway:left=separate
, cycleway:right=separate
or cycleway:both=separate
can still be used to indicate position of the cycleway.
To indicate a one-way compulsory cycleway use a directional subkey, e.g. bicycle:forward=use_sidepath
. Choose between :forward
and :backward
depending on the compulsory cycle direction relative to the direction of the OSM way for the main road. The cycleways OSM direction is not important.
In some cases a two-way cycleway may be compulsory only in one direction. In the opposite direction cyclists are free to choose between the main road and the cycleway. Handle this case like a one-way compulsory cycleway.
For more in-depth information see this proposal Proposed_features/use_sidepath.
Examples
Picture | Tags |
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![]() This cycleway is compulsory. |
Cycleway:highway=cycleway (implicit: bicycle=designated )Main road: bicycle=use_sidepath
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![]() or ![]() or ![]() ![]() These cycleways are not compulsory. Cycling is allowed on the adjacent roads, too. |
Cycleway:highway=cycleway Possible additional tags:
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![]() In this street, cycling is explicitly not allowed on the "road" (carriageway). |
highway=* bicycle=no (explicit bicycle ban)
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Links
On both the German ((in English)) and the Dutch forum have compulsory cycleways been discussed.
Supportmap
This tag is supported on the "Bicycle tags on OSM"- map.
Statistics
bicycle=use_sidepath
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bicycle:forward=use_sidepath
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bicycle:backward=use_sidepath
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See also
- Proposed_features/use_sidepath - The original proposal
foot=use_sidepath
- Corresponding tag regarding pedestrian accesscycleway=sidepath
- On the main road: a non-compulsory cycleway is mapped separately. On a cycleway: this cycleway is a sidepath of the main road.cycleway=separate
- On the main road: a cycleway is mapped separately.