Tag:service=alley

An alley or alleyway is a narrow service road usually located between properties to provide access to back gardens, rear entrances, fire exits, and storage areas. Alleys are normally found in urban areas and often run between the rear sides of buildings such as houses, and commercial premises. Old, narrow streets that provide access to the main entrances of buildings are also mapped as alleys, to distinguish from wider streets which are instead mapped as highway=residential.

If a narrow passage is prohibited for motor vehicles, consider using highway=footway.

If a narrow street is prohibited for motor vehicles, consider using highway=pedestrian.

Medieval ways

In some (e.g. medieval European) settlements alleys may be the very narrow streets which run in-between buildings, providing public (often through-)access. These may be mapped using service=alley.

Possible and legal for motor vehicles		Impossible (e.g. steps) or illegal for motor vehicles
Narrow highway=service + service=alley		Illegal for motor vehicles highway=footway
		Steps highway=steps
Wide highway=residential		Wide enough but illegal highway=pedestrian

Alley streets

Alley streets are a road classification found in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and potentially other places. Alley streets are alleys by definition, i.e., they serve the rear of buildings, but are named. Most named alley streets have addresses assigned to them, often small homes or carriage-houses that have been converted into homes, due to Next Generation 911 (NG911) standards that require local governments to sign any public street with addresses. Alley streets may have sidewalks but they are small and designed to house trash cans or steps down from homes. Alley streets do not typically have on-street parking, which distinguishes them from residential streets.

Alley street tagging examples

Tagging	Example
Ploy Street, alley street with a narrow sidewalk highway=service + service=alley + sidewalk=both + surface=asphalt	Ploy Street, an alley street in the Mt. Vernon Area of Baltimore
Teakle Alley, an alley street that looks like a standard alley with no sidewalk highway=service + service=alley + sidewalk=no + surface=concrete	Teakle Alley, a narrow alley street in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Usage

• Use with highway=service

See also

footway=alley : Narrow streets where cars can't pass and people can barely get by.