User:Grungie

I live in Brussels and discovered OSM soon after starting my own lonely mapping project in a GIS, also exploiting GPS tracks and public sources. OSM deserves so much more publicity in this country because:

-- a lot remains to be done at this point. Remember, motto:fr l'Union fait la Force - motto:nl Eendracht maakt Macht - motto:de Einheit macht Stark  ;-)

-- we all deserve truly free maps of the Kingdom (NGI vector data costs a fortune!)

-- anyone with a GPS and a computer can help (and have fun!), whatever their brand of GPS and operating system.

For theses reasons, OSM users should liaise and make presentations at strategic events, methinks. Linux User Group meetings and Free Software conferences are natural targets, but those with media connections could also try to get a mention in the press. Belgians collectively drive millions of kilometres every years, at a dangerously increasing rate. It would be so thrilling to have a large community over the country all mapping the land just by leaving their GPS on while driving (or walking) around. Together, we are infinitely more efficient than the best team of land surveyors. Because we know our neighbourhoods better than they do...

What I'm most interested in with OSM is its huge potential as a database for powerful GIS applications. Therefore, I think it would be great if we all agreed on a set of mandatory attributes to be given to nodes, segments and such. In complex urban environments (such as my dear city) details do count if we want to get to a point where a true alternative to Garmin, TomTom and the like becomes possible What comes to my mind, specifically:

-- roundabout vs. intersection. An intersection node (or a line node) should, in my humble opinion, mention traffic lights if applicable (and maybe the camera at the top of the pole too), priority rules if they differ from those of their respective ways, pedestrian crossings, static radars, etc.

-- Tunnels, tunnels, tunnels!!!!! We Belgians are so crazy about digging tunnels everywhere we can ;-)

-- Segments should be very well parametrised with standardised mentions of speed limits and other restrictions, the presence of kerbs (trottoirs) on the right and left-hand sides of the segment, the number of driving lanes, the presence of a cycling lane, directionality if one-way, etc. How do we go about representing a typical Belgian setting such as "trottoir - cycling path - two or three car lanes - a large terre-plain lined with trees on both sides and another pedestrian and cycling path + a dual tram line in the middle - two or three car lanes - cycling path - trottoir"? With a minimum number of segments to avoid clutter? Maybe Bruxellois and Antwerpenaren could get together, for a change, and compare e.g. their beloved Leien to our Tervurenlaan and so.

This may sound like a lot of info, but it requires little or no research from anyone knowing their neighbourhoods. All it takes is enough interest from people all over this country (a mere 30500 km^2 after all)

Happy to join this Wiki!