Key:cycle_highway
 cycle_highway
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| Description |
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A cycle route which focuses on functional cycling, e.g. commuting. 
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| Group: cycleways |
| Used on these elements |
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| Requires |
| Useful combination |
| Status: in use |
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A cycle highway is a cycle route, where the focus is on functional cycling, such as commuting by bicycle. It focuses on speed, safety and comfort, not on scenery and recreational value.
How to tag
Every route is mapped as one relation. This means that every cycleway, street, etc. is included as member of a relation having the following tags:
| Tags | Description |
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type=route |
Tagging example for a Belgium cycle highway: F32 from Bruges to Roeselare. |
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type=route |
Tagging example for a Dutch cyle highway: RijnWaalpad (F325) from Arhnem to Nijmegen. |
Additional tagging
Additionally, if the cycle infrastructure is built on an old railway bed, the ways themselves can get an additional railway=abandoned. This should not be placed on the relation though!
Jaagpaden/towpaths deserve some special attention as well, please see NL:Jaagpad
Country-specific information
Belgium
In Belgium, a cycle highway is part of a clearly defined and signposted cycle network. A list of mapped relations can also be found on the wiki.
They are mostly built by the provinces in Flanders and the region in Wallonia, originally by upgrading abandonned railways and towpaths. The construction standard is 3-4 m wide, asphalted, two-ways.
In Flanders, the cycling highway network is always indicated with a Fxx-number and called 'fietssnelweg'. The network is currently a combination of sections at standard and interconnection links of varied quality aimed at creating meaningful routes. The provinces are currently building a lot of new infrastructures to upgrade the interconnection links to standard.
All Flemish cycle highways are included in this master relation. The official (but often incorrect) overview website is fietssnelwegen.be.
Furthermore, there are some conventions on how to deal with official deviations and proposed parts
In Brussels, the numbering system depends on the profile (radial, circular, along valleys...).
In Wallonia, the RAVeL-routes are similar in properties, but are built almost exclusively on preexisting infrastructure and completed with interconnection links on low traffic roads and bicycle friendly tracks to form a comprehensive network.
For the moment, the tag cycle_highway=yes is used only in Flanders on F-routes. It could also be used on RAVeL routes (only the former railway lines and canals, not the ones including significant interconnection links).
Denmark
In Denmark a network of cycle highways (supercykelsti) is in development around København. These routes are signposted with a number prefixed with a C. Other cycle highways are being developed around Esbjerg and Aarhus.
Germany
Many cycle highways (Radschnellweg or Radschnellverbindung) are being planned in Germany. They are indicated with a green sign with a white bicycle and motorway symbol.
Numbering is on the level of a federal state. Prefixes are also different for each federal state:
- Baden-Württemberg: RSx
- Berlin: RSV x
- Bremen: D.xx
- Hessen (Rhein-Main-Gebiet): FRM x
- Nordrhein-Westfalen: RSx
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands cycle highways (snelfietsroute, doorfietsroute or fietssnelweg) are marked and/or signposted routes, mainly for commuters. They are built by the provinces. The routes mostly consist of asphalted cyclepaths and cyclestreets. The typical width is 3 to 4 meters for a two-way path.
There are various ways of marking. Sometimes the number is on (cycling) road signage, sometimes the logo or number is painted on the asphalt. In 2019 a pilot started to unify the marking. This includes are green or blue line on the center of the route, which can be followed. From 2021 on uniform signage is being introduced. It consists of the route number on a coloured background.
Routes can have numbers and/or names. Numbers are prefixed with an F and use the number of a parallel road, sometimes with a leading 1. So the F35 follows the A35/N35, the F173b the A73 and the F261 the N261. Names can be either purely descriptive (Snelfietsroute Waalwijk - Tilburg) or more inventive (RijnWaalpad).
Because of their regional character, Dutch cycle highways use the tag network=rcn, not network=ncn.
Poland
Cycle highway (called velostrada in Polish) activity is concentrated on the Katowice area. One exists in Jaworzno (3837514
3837514), while a network of some others is in development in the Metropolis GZM (14866313 14866313 15069074 15069074 15988827 15988827).
See also
- WikiProject Belgium/Cycle Routes#Fietssnelwegen / Fietsostrades Vlaanderen - cycle highways in Flanders, Belgium
- WikiProject Nederlandse Fietsroutes#Snelfietsroutes - cycle highways in the Netherlands