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Key:highway

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Description
Used for roads and road-related facilities. 👁 Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: highways
Used on these elements
Documented values: 71
Status: approved👁 Page for proposal
Tools for this tag
Main article: Highways

Usage

Main article: Highways

The key =* is the main key used for identifying any kind of road, street or path. The value of the key helps indicate the importance of the highway within the road network as a whole. See the table below for an ordered list from most important (motorway) to least important (service).

See the international highway classification equivalence for how different countries apply these tags to their own road networks.

Note that =* distinguishes roads by function and importance rather by their physical characteristic and legal classification. Usually these things are highly correlated, but OSM is not obligated to copy official road classifications.

This key is also used for features like bus stops, service areas, pedestrian crossings and other highway related things (see below).

Note that while it can be confusing this key is also used for tagging paths, lamp posts, bus stops, not only major roads.

Examples

We have about a dozen-and-a-half examples for urban road tagging, with photos.

Values

See below for details of commonly used values:


Highway

Key Value Element Comment Rendering carto Examples

Roads

This group lists the 7 main tags for the road network, from most to least functionally important for motor vehicle traffic.

motorway 👁 way
A restricted access major divided highway, normally with 2 or more running lanes plus emergency hard shoulder. Equivalent to the Freeway, Autobahn, etc..
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highway trunk 👁 way
The most important roads in a country's system that aren't motorways. (Need not necessarily be a divided highway.)
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highway primary 👁 way
The next most important roads in a country's system. (Often link larger towns.)
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highway secondary 👁 way
The next most important roads in a country's system. (Often link towns.)
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highway tertiary 👁 way
The next most important roads in a country's system. (Often link smaller towns and villages)
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highway unclassified 👁 way
The least important through roads in a country's system – i.e. minor roads of a lower classification than tertiary, but which serve a purpose other than access to properties. (Often link villages and hamlets.)

The word 'unclassified' is a historical artefact of the UK road system and does not mean that the classification is unknown; you can use =road for that.

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highway residential 👁 way
Roads which serve as an access to housing, without function of connecting settlements. Often lined with housing.
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Link roads

highway motorway_link 👁 way
The link roads (sliproads/ramps) leading to/from a motorway from/to a motorway or lower class highway. Normally with the same motorway restrictions.
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A5 exit link to A672, Darmstadt, Germany
highway trunk_link 👁 way
The link roads (sliproads/ramps) leading to/from a trunk road from/to a trunk road or lower class highway.
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👁 A7 / OAL23 interchange, Nesselwang, Germany
A7 / OAL23 interchange, Nesselwang, Germany
highway primary_link 👁 way
The link roads (sliproads/ramps) leading to/from a primary road from/to a primary road or lower class highway.
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B20 exit and entrance to Brunn, Fridolfing, Germany
B20 exit and entrance to Brunn, Fridolfing, Germany
highway secondary_link 👁 way
The link roads (sliproads/ramps) leading to/from a secondary road from/to a secondary road or lower class highway.
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highway tertiary_link 👁 way
The link roads (sliproads/ramps) leading to/from a tertiary road from/to a tertiary road or lower class highway.
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Special road types

highway living_street 👁 way
For living streets, which are residential streets where pedestrians have legal priority over cars, speeds are kept very low.
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👁 beginning of a living street with a paving stones surface and some trees and cars parking at the sides
beginning of a living street with a paving stones surface and some trees and cars parking at the sides
highway service 👁 way
👁 area
For access roads to, or within an industrial estate, camp site, business park, car park, alleys, etc. Can be used in conjunction with service=* to indicate the type of usage and with access=* to indicate who can use it and in what circumstances.
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highway pedestrian 👁 way
👁 area
For roads used mainly/exclusively for pedestrians in shopping and some residential areas which may allow access by motorised vehicles only for very limited periods of the day. To create a 'square' or 'plaza' create a closed way and tag as pedestrian and also with area=yes.
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highway track 👁 way
Roads for mostly agricultural or forestry uses. To describe the quality of a track, see tracktype=*. Note: Although s are often rough with unpaved surfaces, this tag is not describing the quality of a road but its use. Consequently, if you want to tag a general use road, use one of the general values instead of .
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highway bus_guideway 👁 way
A busway where the vehicle guided by the way (though not a railway) and is not suitable for other traffic. Please note: this is not a normal bus lane, use access=no, psv=yes instead! If the buses are not guided, consider =busway.
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highway escape 👁 way
For runaway truck ramps, runaway truck lanes, emergency escape ramps, or truck arrester beds. It enables vehicles with braking failure to safely stop.
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highway raceway 👁 way
A course or track for (motor) racing
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File:Fuji Speedway start-finish.jpg
highway road 👁 way
A road/way/street/motorway/etc. of unknown type. It can stand for anything ranging from a footpath to a motorway. This tag should only be used temporarily until the road/way/etc. has been properly surveyed. If you do know the road type, do not use this value, instead use one of the more specific =* values.
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highway busway 👁 way
A dedicated roadway for bus rapid transit systems
👁 grade-seperated section of busway outside of station
grade-seperated section of busway outside of station

Paths

footway 👁 way
👁 area
For designated footpaths; i.e., mainly/exclusively for pedestrians. This includes walking tracks and gravel paths. If bicycles are allowed as well, you can indicate this by adding a bicycle=yes tag. Should not be used for paths where the primary or intended usage is unknown. Use =pedestrian for pedestrianised roads in shopping or residential areas and =track if it is usable by agricultural or similar vehicles. For ramps (sloped paths without steps), combine this tag with incline=*.
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highway bridleway 👁 way
For horse riders. Pedestrians are usually also permitted, cyclists may be permitted depending on local rules/laws. Motor vehicles are forbidden.
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highway steps 👁 way
For flights of steps (stairs) on footways. Use with step_count=* to indicate the number of steps
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File:Escalinata del Calvario de Toluca.jpg
highway corridor 👁 way
For a hallway inside of a building.
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highway path 👁 way
A non-specific path. Use =footway for paths mainly for walkers, =cycleway for one also usable by cyclists, =bridleway for ones available to horse riders as well as walkers and =track for ones which is passable by agriculture or similar vehicles.
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highway via_ferrata 👁 way
A via ferrata is a route equipped with fixed cables, stemples, ladders, and bridges in order to increase ease and security for climbers. These via ferrata require equipment : climbing harness, shock absorber and two short lengths of rope, but do not require a long rope as for climbing.
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When sidewalk/crosswalk is tagged as a separate way

footway sidewalk 👁 way
Sidewalk that runs typically along residential road. Use in combination with =footway or =path
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footway crossing 👁 way
Crosswalk that connects two sidewalks on the opposite side of the road. Often recognized by painted markings on the road, road sign or traffic lights. Use in combination with =footway or =path. Useful information is presence of tactile_paving=*, wheelchair=* suitability and kerb=* represented as a node on the crosswalk way.
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footway traffic_island 👁 way
The way between two crossings, safespot for pedestrians, has micromapping characteristics as a detailed alternative to =*. Use in combination with =footway or =path.
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When sidewalk (or pavement) is tagged on the main roadway (see Sidewalks)

sidewalk both | left | right | no 👁 way
Specifies that the highways has sidewalks on both sides, on one side or no sidewalk at all
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When cycleway is drawn as its own way (see Bicycle)

highway cycleway 👁 way
For designated cycleways. Add foot=*, though it may be avoided if default-access-restrictions do apply.
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👁 Separated cycleway with traffic sign
Separated cycleway with traffic sign

Cycleway tagged on the main roadway or lane (see Bicycle)

cycleway lane 👁 way
A lane is a route that lies within the roadway
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cycleway 👁 way
Deprecated variant for ways with oneway=yes where it is legally permitted to cycle in both directions. Replaced by oneway:bicycle=no.
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cycleway 👁 way
Deprecated variant for ways with oneway=yes that have a cycling lane going the opposite direction of normal traffic flow (a "contraflow" lane). Replaced by oneway:bicycle=no + cycleway:left=lane/cycleway:right=lane + cycleway:left:oneway=-1/cycleway:right:oneway=-1.
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cycleway track 👁 way
A track provides a route that is separated from traffic. In the United States, this term is often used to refer to bike lanes that are separated from lanes for cars by pavement buffers, bollards, parking lanes, and curbs. Note that a cycle track may alternatively be drawn as a separate way next to the road which is tagged as =cycleway.
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cycleway 👁 way
Deprecated variant for ways with oneway=yes that have a cycling track going the opposite direction of normal traffic flow. Replaced by oneway:bicycle=no + cycleway:left=track/cycleway:right=track + cycleway:left:oneway=-1/cycleway:right:oneway=-1.
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cycleway share_busway 👁 way
There is a bus lane that cyclists are permitted to use.
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cycleway 👁 way
Deprecated variant for ways with oneway=yes that have a bus lane that cyclists are also permitted to use, and which go in the opposite direction to normal traffic flow (a "contraflow" bus lane). Replaced by oneway:bicycle=no + cycleway:left=share_busway/cycleway:right=share_busway + cycleway:left:oneway=-1/cycleway:right:oneway=-1.
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cycleway shared_lane 👁 way
Cyclists share a lane with motor vehicles, there are markings reminding about this. In some places these markings are known as "sharrows" ('sharing arrows') and this is the tag to use for those.
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Busways tagged on the main roadway or lane (see Bus lanes)

lane 👁 way
Deprecated variant to tag bus lanes. Replaced by bus/psv lane tagging lanes:bus=* / lanes:psv=*) / bus:lanes=* / psv:lanes=*
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opposite 👁 way
Deprecated variant for ways with oneway=yes where buses are legally permitted to travel in both directions. Replaced by oneway:bus=no
opposite_lane 👁 way
Deprecated variant for ways with oneway=yes that have a bus lane which go in the opposite direction to normal traffic flow (a "contraflow" bus lane). Replaced by oneway:bus=no and lanes:bus=* / lanes:psv=*) / bus:lanes=* / psv:lanes=*

Street parking tagged on the main roadway (see Street parking)

parking:left / :right / :both
(hereafter: )
lane | street_side | on_kerb | half_on_kerb | shoulder | no | separate | yes 👁 way
Primary key to record parking along the street. Describes the parking position of parked vehicles in the street.
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orientation=* parallel | diagonal | perpendicular 👁 way
To specify the orientation of parked vehicles if there is street parking.

Lifecycle (see also lifecycle prefixes)

highway proposed 👁 way
For planned roads, use with proposed=* and a value of the proposed highway value.
highway construction 👁 way
For roads under construction. Use construction=* to hold the value for the completed road.
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different colours
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Attributes

abutters commercial | industrial | mixed | residential | retail etc. 👁 way
See Key:abutters for more details.
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bicycle_road yes 👁 way
A bicycle road is a road designated for bicycles. If residential streets get the status of bicycle roads, normally, by special signs, motor traffic is admitted with limited speed, often only for residents.
File:456Humboldtstr.jpg
bus_bay both | left | right 👁 way
A bus bay outside the main carriageway for boarding/alighting
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change yes | no | not_right | not_left | only_right | only_left 👁 way
Specify the allowed/forbidden lane changes
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destination <place name of destination> 👁 way
Destination when following a linear feature
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embankment yes | dyke 👁 way
A dyke or a raised bank to carry a road, railway, or canal across a low-lying or wet area.
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embedded_rails yes | <type of railway> 👁 way
A highway on which non-railway traffic is also allowed has railway tracks embedded in it but the rails are mapped as separate ways.
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ford yes 👁 node
👁 way
The road crosses through stream or river, vehicles must enter any water.
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frontage_road yes 👁 way
A frontage road.
ice_road yes 👁 way
A highway is laid upon frozen water basin, definitely doesn't exist in summer.
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incline Number % | ° | up | down 👁 node
👁 way
Incline steepness as percents ("5%") or degrees ("20°"). Positive/negative values indicate movement upward/downwards in the direction of the way.
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junction roundabout 👁 way
👁 closed way
This automatically implies oneway=yes, the oneway direction is defined by the sequential ordering of nodes within the Way. This applies on a way, tagged with =* already.
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lanes <number> 👁 way
The number of traffic lanes for general purpose traffic, also for buses and other specific classes of vehicle.
File:NLEx 6 Lanes.jpg
lane_markings yes | no 👁 way
Specifies if a highway has painted markings to indicate the position of the lanes.
File:Reelsen1.JPG
lit yes | no 👁 node
👁 way
👁 area
Street lighting
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maxspeed <number> 👁 way
Specifies the maximum legal speed limit on a road, railway or waterway.
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motorroad yes | no 👁 way
👁 node
The motorroad tag is used to describe highways that have motorway-like access restrictions but that are not a motorway.
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mountain_pass yes 👁 node
The highest point of a mountain pass.
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mtb:scale 0-6 👁 way
Applies to =path and =track. A classification scheme for mtb trails (few inclination and downhill).
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mtb:scale:uphill 0-5 👁 way
A classification scheme for mtb trails for going uphill if there is significant inclination.
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mtb:scale:imba 0-4 👁 way
The IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System shall be used for bikeparks. It is adapted to mtb trails with artificial obstacles.
mtb:description Text 👁 way
Applies to =path and =track. A key to input variable infos related to mtbiking on a way with human words
oneway yes | no | reversible 👁 way
Oneway streets are streets where you are only allowed to drive in one direction.
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oneway:bicycle yes | no | 👁 way
Used on ways with oneway=yes where it is legally permitted to cycle in both directions.
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overtaking yes | no | caution | both | forward | backward 👁 way
Specifying sections of roads where overtaking is legally forbidden. Use overtaking:forward=yes/no/caution and overtaking:backward=yes/no/caution when it depends on driving direction.
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parking:lane parallel | diagonal | perpendicular | marked | no_parking | no_stopping | fire_lane. 👁 way
Deprecated variant to map parking along streets. See section on street parking above or the street parking page for more details.
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parking:condition free | ticket | disc | residents | customers | private 👁 way
Deprecated variant to map parking conditions along streets. See section on street parking above or the street parking page for more details.
File:2013.11.01.104926 Parking sign Kilauea Avenue Hilo Hawaii.jpg
passing_places yes 👁 way
A way which has frequent passing places (See also: =passing_place)
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priority forward | backward 👁 way
Traffic priority for narrow parts of roads, e.g. narrow bridges.
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priority_road designated | yes_unposted | end 👁 way
Specifying roads signposted as priority roads.
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sac_scale strolling | hiking | mountain_hiking | demanding_mountain_hiking | alpine_hiking | demanding_alpine_hiking | difficult_alpine_hiking 👁 way
Applies to =path and =footway. A classification scheme for hiking trails.
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service alley | driveway | parking_aisle etc. 👁 way
See Key:service for more details.
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shoulder no | yes | right | both | left 👁 way
Presence of shoulder in highway
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side_road yes 👁 way
A side road.
smoothness excellent | good | intermediate | bad | very_bad | horrible | very_horrible | impassable 👁 way
👁 area
Specifies the physical usability of a way for wheeled vehicles due to surface regularity/flatness. See Key:smoothness for more details.
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surface paved | unpaved | asphalt | concrete | paving_stones | sett | cobblestone | metal | wood | compacted | fine_gravel | gravel | pebblestone | plastic | grass_paver | grass | dirt | earth | mud | sand | ground 👁 way
See Key:surface for more details.
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tactile_paving yes | no 👁 node
👁 way
👁 area
A paving in the ground to be followed with a blindman's stick.
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tracktype grade1 | grade2 | grade3 | grade4 | grade5 👁 way
To describe the quality of the surface. See Key:tracktype for more information.
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traffic_calming bump | hump | table | island | cushion | yes | etc. 👁 node
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Features used to slow down traffic. See Key:traffic calming for more details.
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trail_visibility excellent | good | intermediate | bad | horrible | no 👁 way
Applies to =path, =footway, =cycleway and =bridleway. A classification for hiking trails visibility
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trailblazed yes | no | poles | cairns | symbols 👁 way
Applies to =*. Describing trail blazing and marking. See Key:trailblazed for more information.
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trailblazed:visibility excellent | good | intermediate | bad | horrible | no 👁 way
Applies to trailblazed=*. A classification for visibility of trailblazing. See Key:trailblazed:visibility for more information.
turn left | slight_left | through | right | slight_right | merge_to_left | merge_to_right | reverse 👁 way
The key turn can be used to specify the direction in which a way or a lane will lead.
File:Zeichen 297 - Richtungspfeile, StVO 1970.svg
width <number> 👁 way
The width of a feature.
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winter_road yes 👁 way
A highway functions during winter, probably can't be driven in summer.
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Other highway features

bus_stop 👁 node
A small bus stop. Optionally one may also use public_transport=stop_position for the position where the vehicle stops and public_transport=platform for the place where passengers wait.
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highway crossing 👁 node
A.k.a. crosswalk. Pedestrians can cross a street here; e.g., zebra crossing
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highway cyclist_waiting_aid 👁 node
Street furniture for cyclists that are intended to make waiting at esp. traffic lights more comfortable.
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highway elevator 👁 node
👁 way
An elevator or lift, used to travel vertically, providing passenger and freight access between pathways at different floor levels.
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highway emergency_bay 👁 node
👁 way
An area beside a highway where you can safely stop your car in case of breakdown or emergency.
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highway emergency_access_point 👁 node
Sign number which can be used to define your current position in case of an emergency. Use with ref=NUMBER_ON_THE_SIGN. See also emergency=access_point
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highway give_way 👁 node
A "give way," or "Yield" sign
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emergency phone 👁 node
A calling device can be used to tell on your current position in case of an emergency. Use with ref=NUMBER_ON_THE_SIGN
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hitchhiking 👁 node
Like a bus_stop but for free, uncertain, spontaneous rides with strangers.
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highway ladder 👁 node
👁 way
A vertical or inclined set of steps or rungs intended for climbing or descending of a person with the help of hands.
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highway milestone 👁 node
Highway location marker
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highway mini_roundabout 👁 node
Similar to roundabouts, but at the center there is either a painted circle or a fully traversable island. In case of an untraversable center island, junction=roundabout should be used.

Rendered as anti-clockwise by default direction=anticlockwise. To render clockwise add the tag direction=clockwise.

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highway motorway_junction 👁 node
Indicates a junction (UK) or exit (US). ref=* should be set to the exit number or junction identifier. (Some roads – e.g., the A14 – also carry junction numbers, so the tag may be encountered elsewhere despite its name)
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highway passing_place 👁 node
The location of a passing space
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highway platform 👁 node
👁 way
👁 area
A platform at a bus stop or station.
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highway rest_area 👁 node
👁 area
Place where drivers can leave the road to rest, but not refuel.
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highway services 👁 node
👁 area
A service station to get food and eat something, often found at motorways
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highway speed_camera 👁 node
A fixed road-side or overhead speed camera.
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highway speed_display 👁 node
A dynamic electronic sign that displays the speed of the passer-by motorist.
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highway stop 👁 node
A stop sign
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highway street_lamp 👁 node
A street light, lamppost, street lamp, light standard, or lamp standard is a raised source of light on the edge of a road, which is turned on or lit at a certain time every night
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highway toll_gantry 👁 node
A toll gantry is a gantry suspended over a way, usually a motorway, as part of a system of electronic toll collection. For a toll booth with any kind of barrier or booth see: barrier=toll_booth
File:CR0344eRoad-MM4-TollGantry (29081629762).jpg
highway traffic_mirror 👁 node
Mirror that reflects the traffic on one road when direct view is blocked.
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highway traffic_signals 👁 node
Lights that control the traffic
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highway trailhead 👁 node
Designated place to start on a trail or route
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highway turning_circle 👁 node
A turning circle is a rounded, widened area usually, but not necessarily, at the end of a road to facilitate easier turning of a vehicle. Also known as a cul de sac.
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File:Turning circle, Temple - geograph.org.uk - 1537665.jpg
highway turning_loop 👁 node
A widened area of a highway with a non-traversable island for turning around, often circular and at the end of a road.
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highway User Defined 👁 node
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All commonly used values according to Taginfo

This table is a wiki template with a default description in English. Editable here.

Assumptions

File:South of Kalangba en route to Outamba-Kilimi Park.JPG
Unpaved road of major importance, example of a tertiary road on Highway Tag Africa
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Forestry road not used as link between settlements, correctly tagged as =track + surface=asphalt + tracktype=grade1

Only motorway and motorway_link indicate quality. Other road types, from trunk to tertiary to residential, service, path, footway, cycleway or track, do not imply anything about road quality, only importance and intended main use.

In a region with poor infrastructure, a road of highest importance, forming the main road network there, should be trunk, regardless of being a high-quality wide asphalt road or a low-quality narrow track worse than service in other regions. Examples include the Kolyma Highway (P-504) and the Vilyuy Highway (A-331) in the Russian Far East, and a long stretch of the Trans-Amazonian Highway (BR-230) and BR-319 in the North Region of Brazil.

A typical primary can also vary drastically between different regions on the planet. Some primary roads in parts of Africa, Asia, South America, Canada, Alaska, Australia and Iceland are unpaved. Examples include the Anadyr Highway (A-384) in the Russian Far East and the Juba–Rumbek Road (route 69) in South Sudan.

It is highly recommended to add tags describing road quality, such as surface=*. In one region, it may be obvious that all tertiary roads are paved and all track ways are not paved, but this kind of assumption does not work worldwide. Tagging at least some common values allows building a set of default values ​​for each area.

In the absence of surface=*, tracktype=* and other tags describing road quality, one may try to extrapolate this information from the value of the highway tag. This should be fine-tuned for each region.

See also

Possible tagging mistakes

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
v · d · e
Highways
Roads
Link Roads
Special
Paths
Special lanes
Lanes
See also
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