Proposal:crossing:signed

Crossing:signed
Proposal status:	Draft (under way)
Proposed by:	Bauer33333
Tagging:	crossing:signed=*
Applies to:	node, way
Definition:	Whether a crossing has signs telling road users that it is a crossing.
Statistics:
Draft started:	2025-02-26

Proposal

This proposal introduces crossing:signed=*. It is a compound key of crossing=* (Further refinement for nodes already tagged with highway=crossing or railway=crossing ) and the suffix *:signed=* (Indicates whether the property can be verified by reading a posted sign).

As a result this key describes in a simple way if a crossing can be verified by a sign posted at it.

Rationale

There currently is no way to tag a crossing as having signs except of using values of traffic_sign=*. These are usually not human readable and differ per country so every data user needs a sheet of all crossing sign reference numbers in the world to get the info if the crossign has a sign. This also prevents apps like StreetComplete from tagging crossings as having signs. An examples for issues is eg. here.

Even worse the absence of a crossing sign can not be tagged with traffic_sign=* at all, there is no way to distinguish between unspecified/untagged and no sign.

Tagging

Values proposed for now would be yes and no. More can be added when a need arises.

Examples

crossing signs

with roads

• 
  Germany:
  crossing:signed=yes
  crossing:signals=no
  crossing:markings=zebra
• 
  United States (Florida):
  crossing:signed=yes
  crossing:signals=no
  crossing:markings=no
• 
  Canada (Toronto):
  crossing:signed=yes
  crossing:signals=no
  crossing:markings=lines:paired
  flashing_lights=yes
• 
  United States (Oregon)
  crossing:signed=yes
  crossing:signals=no
  flashing_lights=yes
• 

with rails

• 
  crossing:signed=yes
  crossing:saltire=no
  crossing:light=no
  crossing:barrier=no
• 
• 
• 

not crossing signs

warnings of crossings ahead

In Viennna Convention areas warnings are in a red triangle as opposed to the blue square on the crossing itself.

• 
• 
• 
• 

warnings about pedestrians in the road

These signs are used in some cases about upcoming crossing but usually warn about pedestrians outside of crossings. So they often indicate a lack of crossing, the opposite of what this tag is supposed to be.

• 
• 
• 
• 

crossbucks

• 
  crossing:saltire=yes
  crossing:light=yes
  crossing:barrier=yes
• 
  crossing:saltire=yes

ToDo

crossings signed only from one direction

are crossing saltires only crossing:signed=yes or crossing:signed=no?

MUTCD coutries, destinction between "crossing ahead" and "crossing" signs?

crossings signed from the pedestrian side but not roadside?

Comments

Please comment on the discussion page.