Also known as cycletrack. Separated from the roadway by elevation, pedestrians not permitted. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.

Also known as cycletrack. Separated from the roadway by elevation, pedestrians not permitted. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.

The bike lane and roadway share a continuous surface but are separated by substantial treatments that may include:

• planters
• concrete sleepers
• jersey barriers
• parked cars Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.

If the separation is only paint or flex posts, see contraflow lanes in the “Painted Spaces” section. On one-way streets where there is a physical form of separation. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.

Asphalt strip, resembles a cycletrack, but is typically narrow and in poor condition, with no intersection treatments, and may include utility poles. Intended as a low-maintenance surface for snow storage. Also provide width and smoothness tags.

A standard sidewalk, sharing designated by signage. Surface is often concrete, rather than asphalt. Map as a separate way from the road. Add cycleway=separate to the road.

If maintained, winter_service=yes

If not plowed, winter_service=no

If poorly plowed, add a conditional restriction of smoothness:conditional=bad @ Dec-Mar

Typically 3m wide, may be wider. Mixed bike and foot traffic.

Typically >4.5 m wide. Separated bike and foot traffic

Typically <3m wide. May not have curb cuts. Intended primarily for foot traffic, though bikes are not prohibited

Typically 3m wide. Mixed bike and foot traffic. Often a stonedust surface, but sometimes dirt.

Well-worn path in a direct line between popular destinations. Also known as a goat path.

Recreational in purpose, may be meandering or direct. Most often maintained by users. Often includes technically challenging sections, but some sections may be appropriate for transportation

Also known as doubletrack. Typically direct, but surfaces are often too rough for comfortable cycling. Motor vehicles such as ATVs are often permitted, but track roads are typically not used by conventional cars. May not be maintained.

May be recreational in purpose, but some sections are suitable for transportation

Not to be confused with a protected bike lane (described in the previous section). The bike lane and roadway share a continuous surface but are separated by flimsy treatments that may include:

• flex stakes
• double paint line

A single line of paint delineates the bike lane. Bike symbol may be painted in the lane.

The lane is reserved for bikes by posted signage.

A single line of paint delineates the bike lane. Bike symbol may be painted in the lane.

The lane is reserved for bikes by posted signage.

Dashed lines delineate bike lanes on each side of the street, and this functions like any other bike lane for cyclists. The remaining roadway is too narrow for two-way motor traffic. Motorists may enter the bike lanes when encountering an oncoming vehicle, but must give priority to cyclists.

Painted lane positioned between a right-turn lane and a through lane. Right turn lane length can be quite variable. The cycleway:middle tag is an invention, since there is no convention for this situation.

On one-way streets, only a yellow line separates two-way bike traffic. If there is physical separation in the form of a barrier or vertical discontinuity, see the enrty on contraflow lanes with physical separation.

A single line of paint delineates the shoulder. No signage or bike symbols present. Map if there is enough space to bike, i.e. at least 2-3ft wide Parking on the shoulder is typically permitted.

Resembles a bike lane or paved shoulder, but is typically narrow and, unlike a paved shoulder, includes a curb. Intended to visually narrow the road and calm traffic speeds.

Not specifically intended for cycling, but may be functional. Parking is typically permitted.

Controlled/uncontrolled pedestrian crossing often required to connect two non-intersecting ways

Useful to tag as an advocacy target

Useful to tag as an advocacy target

May be useful as way-finding if they come with a bike route number, but many are just generic green signs

A permissive sign that indicates you may walk your bike. This sign does not make dismounting mandatory.Tagging them will be useful for indicating areas where there is insufficient space to share with pedestrians or where legal road crossing facilities have not been provided.

Parking, left side

Parking, right side

Parking, both side

No Parking

No Stopping

Unique in Ottawa. Painted warning that cyclists should avoid riding close to parked vehicles.

Green backgound for enhanced visibility. Indicates lane position cyclists should use on roads where no cycling infrastructure is present.

Bike symbol indicates lane position cyclists should use on roads where no cycling infrastructure is present. Require frequent re-painting and may be very faded; it’s still of interest to know which roads are intended to have sharrows.

Cyclists will often have these lanes to themselves, but sometimes will need to navigate amidst buses. Designated by signage.

Add name:en and name:fr if there are multilingual names. name must match either name:en or name:fr

Very narrow gate (<90 cm gap)

Swing gate, can be opened and closed.

Use flood_prone=yes If the flooding is a predictable annual event, you may wish to add conditional access restrictions to indicate times of the year when the way should be avoided.

Advisory bike lane streets where cars must use bike lane to pass by each other. Single-lane bridges.

Most residential streets consist of two lanes.

Includes turning lanes

Most designated MUPs have a width of 3m, though some are wider. Walkways are typically 2m

Only show if the speed is posted different than 50.

Place stop sign on the intersection in OSM.

Also known as PXOs. These are mid-block crossings, designated by a variety of different signage treatments. They are not crosswalks, which are located at intersections. Cyclists may use PXOs, but are required by law to walk their bike.

Also known as an advanced stop line (ASL). ASL nodes are located before the actual junction node, and are always connected to their junctions by the Way they’re on.

These are places for the cyclists to pull off to the right, out of the stream of traffic, and await an opportunity to cross the road.

Places where there is only pedestrian infrastructure to cross a road.

Places where there are both pedestrian and cycling infrastructure to cross a road.

Read more on the wiki. Always a subjective call. Here are some more cycling-specific interpretations of the keys.

Fresh flawless pavement

Decent on skinny tires

• Asphalt with a few cracks and bumps
• Flawless stone dust

A bike with sturdy tires and wheels would be preferred by most.

• Bumpy but not hazardous pavement.
• Stonedust with some minor washouts.
• Well-packed featureless dirt.

• Pavement with jarring bumps, alligatoring, or large cracks.
• Coarse gravel or stonedust with washouts that require alertness.
• Dirt trail with small stones or some small roots.

A mountain bike, perhaps with front suspension, is a more comfortable choice here. This is the worst pavement condition that Ottawa is willing to just live with.

• Pavement with hazardous bumps and cracks large enough to swallow skinny wheels.
• Stonedust with hazardous washouts.
• Rocky surface, such as an ATV trail.
• Dirt trail where stones or roots require attention.

Dangerously broken pavement that should be fixed immediately; this is not a tag that will often apply to paved surfaces.

• Trails with large stones or roots that may require dismounting or suspension

Rough-edged stones, many exposed roots, suitable only for fatbikes or full suspension

Almost nobody would be able to ride this