OSM tag mapping

This page is intended to give an overview of which OpenStreetMap(OSM) tags OTP uses to evaluate its walking and bicycling instructions. If a tag is not part of the documentation on this page then this tag mapper (profile) does not use it.

The exception are access permissions and wheelchair accessibility tags like

• access=no
• wheelchair=no
• oneway=yes

These are identical for all mappers and not separately listed on this page.

Way properties

Way properties set a way's permission and optionally influences its walk and bicycle safety factors.

These factors determine how desirable an OSM way is when routing for cyclists and pedestrians. Lower safety values make an OSM way more desirable and higher values less desirable.

specifier	permission	bike safety	walk safety
highway=living_street	ALL	0.9
highway=unclassified	ALL
highway=road	ALL
highway=byway	ALL	1.3
highway=track	ALL	1.3
highway=service	ALL	1.1
highway=residential	ALL	0.98
highway=residential_link	ALL	0.98
highway=tertiary	ALL
highway=tertiary_link	ALL
highway=secondary	ALL	1.5
highway=secondary_link	ALL	1.5
highway=primary	ALL	2.06
highway=primary_link	ALL	2.06
highway=trunk_link	ALL	2.06
highway=trunk	ALL	7.47
highway=trunk; tunnel=yes	CAR	7.47
present(highway); informal=yes	NONE
highway=service; access=private	NONE
highway=trail	NONE
present(highway); seasonal=winter	NONE
present(highway); ice_road=yes	NONE
present(highway); winter_road=yes	NONE
highway=footway	PEDESTRIAN
footway=sidewalk; highway=footway	PEDESTRIAN
highway=pedestrian	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	1.1
highway=cycleway	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.6	2.0
highway=cycleway; segregated=yes	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.6	1.1
highway=footway; bridge=yes	PEDESTRIAN
highway=footway; tunnel=yes	PEDESTRIAN
highway=cycleway; bridge=yes	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.6
highway=cycleway; tunnel=yes	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.6
highway=footway; footway=crossing; crossing=traffic_signals	PEDESTRIAN		1.1
highway=footway; footway=crossing	PEDESTRIAN		1.2
highway=cycleway; cycleway=crossing; segregated=yes; crossing=traffic_signals	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.8	1.1
highway=cycleway; footway=crossing; segregated=yes; crossing=traffic_signals	PEDESTRIAN	0.8	1.1
highway=cycleway; cycleway=crossing; segregated=yes	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	1.2	1.2
highway=cycleway; footway=crossing; segregated=yes	PEDESTRIAN	1.2	1.2
highway=cycleway; cycleway=crossing; crossing=traffic_signals	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.8	1.15
highway=cycleway; footway=crossing; crossing=traffic_signals	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.8	1.15
highway=cycleway; cycleway=crossing	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	1.2	1.25
highway=cycleway; footway=crossing	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	1.2	1.25
highway=cycleway; bicycle=designated	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.6
highway=service; tunnel=yes; access=destination	NONE
highway=service; access=destination	ALL	1.1
mtb:scale=3	NONE
mtb:scale=4	NONE
mtb:scale=5	NONE
mtb:scale=6	NONE
highway=bridleway	NONE	1.3
highway=corridor	PEDESTRIAN
highway=steps	PEDESTRIAN
highway=elevator	PEDESTRIAN
highway=crossing	PEDESTRIAN
highway=platform	PEDESTRIAN
public_transport=platform	PEDESTRIAN
railway=platform	PEDESTRIAN
highway=pedestrian	PEDESTRIAN	0.9
highway=footway	PEDESTRIAN	1.1
mtb:scale=1	PEDESTRIAN	1.5
mtb:scale=2	PEDESTRIAN	3.0
indoor=area	PEDESTRIAN
indoor=corridor	PEDESTRIAN
highway=cycleway	BICYCLE	0.6
mtb:scale=0	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE
highway=path	PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE	0.75
highway=living_street	ALL	0.9
highway=unclassified	ALL
highway=road	ALL
highway=byway	ALL	1.3
highway=track	ALL	1.3
highway=service	ALL	1.1
highway=residential	ALL	0.98
highway=residential_link	ALL	0.98
highway=tertiary	ALL
highway=tertiary_link	ALL
highway=secondary	ALL	1.5
highway=secondary_link	ALL	1.5
highway=primary	ALL	2.06
highway=primary_link	ALL	2.06
highway=trunk	ALL	7.47	7.47
highway=trunk_link	ALL	2.06	7.47
highway=motorway_link	CAR	2.06
highway=motorway	CAR	8.0

Safety mixins

Mixins are selectors that have an effect on the bicycle and walk safety factors. Their safety values are multiplied with the base values from the selected way properties.

Mixins can also add or remove permissions on an OSM way, which will be further overridden with explicitly set permission tags. If two mixins add and remove the same permission on the same way, the behavior is unspecified which usually indicates a tagging error on the way.

Multiple mixins can apply to the same way and their effects compound.

matcher	add permission	remove permission	bicycle safety	walk safety
bicycle=use_sidepath				5.0
motorroad=yes		PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE
cycleway=lane; not(highway=cycleway)	BICYCLE		0.87
cycleway=share_busway; not(highway=cycleway)	BICYCLE		0.92
cycleway=opposite_lane; not(highway=cycleway)	backward: BICYCLE		no direction: 1.0 forward: 1.0 back: 0.87
cycleway=track; not(highway=cycleway)	BICYCLE		0.75
cycleway=opposite_track; not(highway=cycleway)	backward: BICYCLE		no direction: 1.0 forward: 1.0 back: 0.75
cycleway=shared_lane; not(highway=cycleway)	BICYCLE		0.77
cycleway=opposite; not(highway=cycleway)	backward: BICYCLE		no direction: 1.0 forward: 1.0 back: 1.4
footway=sidewalk			2.5
footway=crossing			1.5
bicycle=designated; cycleway not one of [no, none] or absent; not(highway=cycleway); not(lcn=yes); not(rcn=yes); not(ncn=yes); not(bicycle_road=yes); not(cyclestreet=yes)			0.8
lcn=yes¦rcn=yes¦ncn=yes¦bicycle_road=yes¦cyclestreet=yes			0.7
highway=trunk; sidewalk=yes¦highway=trunk; sidewalk=left¦highway=trunk; sidewalk=right¦highway=trunk; sidewalk=both				0.25
highway=trunk; sidewalk=lane				0.6
surface=unpaved			1.18
surface=compacted			1.18
surface=wood			1.18
surface=cobblestone			1.3
surface=sett			1.3
surface=unhewn_cobblestone			1.5
surface=grass_paver			1.3
surface=pebblestone			1.3
surface=metal			1.3
surface=ground			1.5
surface=dirt			1.5
surface=earth			1.5
surface=grass			1.5
surface=mud			1.5
surface=woodchip			1.5
surface=gravel			1.5
surface=artifical_turf			1.5
surface=sand			100.0
foot=discouraged				3.0
bicycle=discouraged			3.0
foot=use_sidepath				5.0
bicycle=use_sidepath			5.0