Asking for tactile_paving=* on public transport platforms with area=yes: Tactile paving tagging on areas discouraged?

[dreirund]

NOTE: This also happens in StreetComplete, so I am going to move this discussion ↗  here to StreetComplete.

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Ahoj,

SCEE (and maybe StreetComplete as well) asks for tram/ railway platforms if there is a tactile paving.

It also asks this for platforms that are mapped as an area (area=yes).

The OSM wiki states that on areas there should not be a tactile_paving tag, but it instead should go on a way to be mapped seperately:

• Wiki page Key:tactile_paving says:

  Use on ways

  • […]
  • On platforms, highway=platform or man_made=pier. If the platform or pier is mapped as an area, only if you draw a separate way for the tactile lines. If the platform or pier is small and mapped as a way, add tactile_paving=yes to the way.
    […]

  Use on areas

  • tactile_paving=yes is not used on areas.

  So as I interpret it, not apply tactile_paving=yes to an object with area=yes, e.h. highway=platform with area=yes.

On the other hand, the OSM wiki pages about the platforms say nothing about distinguishing between a platform mapped as area or mapped as simple way:

• But the wiki page Tag:highway=platform:

  Additional tags:

  […]

  • tactile_paving=* - is there a guidance system for the blind?

  does not mention that the tag should only applied to the highway=platform object if it is not an area.

  (similar for Tag:railway=platform and Tag:public_transport=platform)

I asked about this discrepancy in the OpenStreetMap forum. An answer which was given there was against asking this question for area=yes platforms:

I’m not one of the authors of the proposal, but for background, I voluntarily worked in a blind school for 3 years in the past.

My assumption is that the reason, not to put tactile_paving=* on areas, is that the information is only really useful on ways, and the only interpretative information would be “there is some sort of tactile paving, somewhere here”, but now exactly showing where.

For platforms mapped as an area, I’d say the best option would be to have a highway=footway way in addition to the platform area, that can then be used for routing, both blind and non-blind people, much like it’s common for pedestrian roads mapped as areas.

I hereby notify you of this discrepancy, put this into discussion, and encourage to actually do the discussion in this OpenStreetMap forum thread and come back here after you could draw some "conclusion".

Regards!

[dreirund]

This also happens in StreetComplete, so I am going to move this discussion ↗  here to StreetComplete.

[dreirund]

In the forum discussion it was agreed that this question makes sense, and the OSM wiki has been updated accordingly.