User:Minh Nguyen/Highway ref discussions

A reading list of discussions about the ref=* key on highway=* ways ("way refs") and route relations, especially pertaining to formatting conventions. Discussions about highway shields are mixed in and inseparable from most of these discussions.

United States

• Martin, Jeffrey (August 15, 2007). “route ref segments”. talk mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2007-August/017108.html. 
• Standard for the US (September 18, 2008)
• Leonard, Leroy E. (January 30, 2010). “Questions about tagging local streets as US and state highways”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2010-January/002690.html. 
• Edgars, Nathan II (February 26, 2010). “Help! Changeset reverted without explanation”. talk mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2010-February/048318.html.  [1][2]
• Ollie, Jeffrey (February 8, 2010). “[Warning: Potential Flamewar] Clarifying Interstate Relations”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2010-February/002715.html.  [3][4][5][6][7]
• N., Mike (March 1, 2010). “US Highway Tagging, Was Changeset reverted...”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2010-March/002845.html. 
• Edgars, Nathan II (March 2, 2010). “proposed first principles for United States road tagging”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2010-March/002847.html. 
• Proposed first principles (March 3, 2010)
• On ref formats (March 4, 2010)
• Johnson, Paul (March 8, 2010). “Time to retire ref= on ways?”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2010-March/002931.html.  [8][9][10][11]
• Johnson, Paul (December 20, 2010). “"refs" describing routes instead of ways”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2010-December/005026.html.  [12][13][14]
• Mintz, Alan (January 3, 2011). “US highway tagging (was Re: highway shields: "get your kicks, where?")”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2011-January/005096.html. 
• Mast, James (April 8, 2011). “REF tags for State Highways on ways”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2011-April/005597.html.  [15]
• Zoerhoff, Kristian M. (April 10, 2011). “County road network relations (was: REF tags for State Highways on ways)”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2011-April/005671.html. 
• Edgars, Nathan II (May 5, 2011). “Do we want overlaps to be rendered? Or do we want to wait for relation support that may never come?”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2011-May/005822.html. 
• Mast, James (May 29, 2011). “FYI - user going around changing highway refs just to put in the "-" and "/"”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2011-May/005974.html.  [16][17]
• Edgars, Nathan II (June 5, 2011). “Unsigned routes (Re: shields and overlaps)”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2011-June/006058.html. 
• Hoff, Henk (August 20, 2011). “Use of ref-tag on state highways”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2011-August/006373.html.  [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
• Mast, James (June 11, 2012). “User adding hidden and non-official Interstate ref tags”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2012-June/008406.html. 
• Schöll, Apollinaris (July 26, 2012). “Highway ref again.”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2012-July/008814.html.  [28][29][30][31]
• Johnson, Paul (February 11, 2013). “ref tags”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2013-February/010345.html. 
• van Exel, Martijn (June 17, 2013). “ref tags”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2013-June/011143.html. 
• Davies, Peter (January 13, 2014). “Post cardinal directions using "destination_ref=US 20:east" on ramps and carriageways?”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2014-January/012543.html. 
• Mast, James (March 11, 2014). “State ref tags on ways”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2014-March/012776.html.  [32]
• Davies, Peter (March 11, 2014). “State ref tags on ways: Use of unique ISO/ANSI/USPS 2-letter state codes in RELATIONS as well as WAYS?”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2014-March/012786.html. 
• van Exel, Martijn (July 10, 2014). “Follow up on destination= and destination:ref=”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2014-July/013284.html. 
• Burke, Jack (September 16, 2014). “multiple-value problem in ref tags”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2014-September/013549.html. 
• Mast, James (September 26, 2014). “User going around adding '-' to ref tags in Michigan”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2014-September/013595.html. 
• johnw (November 27, 2014). “custom road ref shields”. tagging mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2014-November/020196.html.  [33]
• Johnson, Paul (December 5, 2014). “State highway refs (was Re: New I.D Feature)”. tagging mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2014-December/020283.html. 
• Johnson, Paul (November 6, 2015). “Proposal: Sunset ref=* on ways in favor of relations”. talk mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk/2015-November/074793.html.  [34][35][36][37]
• Pundt, Albert (February 27, 2017). “Potential proposal for more detail in old_ref=*?”. tagging mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2017-February/031384.html. 
• Burke, Jack (June 15, 2017). “ref-Tagging forest service roads: NFR vs. FS vs. FSR?”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2017-June/017433.html. 
• imperialmog (November 29, 2017). “Bannered routes in US”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/bannered-routes-in-us/81561. 
• Pundt, Albert (December 27, 2017). “old_ref_legislative vs. old_ref:legislative”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2017-December/018245.html. 
• Pundt, Albert (April 14, 2018). “Bannered/Special routes (Business, Alternate, etc.) in ref tags”. tagging mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2018-April/035844.html. 
• Iepure, Mihai (August 24, 2018). “ref=* tags on links”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2018-August/018797.html.  [38][39]
• Iepure, Mihai (August 24, 2018). “ref=* tags on links”. TelenavMapping/US_mapping_projects. GitHub. https://github.com/TelenavMapping/US_mapping_projects/issues/25. 
• Savoye, Rob (January 29, 2020). “road names and refs”. tagging mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2020-January/050741.html. 
• Buster452 (May 20, 2020). “Proper naming of USFS roads?”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/proper-naming-of-usfs-roads/90004. 
• Thompson, Mike (June 6, 2020). “USFS Roads - name and ref”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2020-June/020113.html. 
• Buster452 (December 14, 2020). “REF tag for BLM roads and Fish and Wildlife Service roads?”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/ref-tag-for-blm-roads-and-fish-and-wildlife-service-roads/91865. 
• Hawthorne, Skyler (December 16, 2020). “destination:ref with direction?”. tagging mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2020-December/056888.html. 
• Jack (May 13, 2021). “[no title]”. #general. Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/C029HV951/p1620934008419300. 
• Sperlongano (February 10, 2022). “Brian M.”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2022-February/021603.html. 
• Christensen, Eric H. (July 5, 2022). “Highway ref on way or relation?”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2022-July/021763.html. 
• Smalley, Clay (March 18, 2023). “Network=* tagging proposal for USFS Roads”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/network-tagging-proposal-for-usfs-roads/97057. 
• rickmastfan67 (November 20, 2023). “KY I-69/Purchase Parkway issues”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/ky-i-69-purchase-parkway-issues/106196. 

Florida

• Edgars, Nathan II (August 4, 2010). “Proposal to change ref format for county roads in Florida from "(x)" to "CR x"”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2010-August/003859.html.  [40]

Indiana

• Zwick, Tobias (July 8, 2018). “Questions on default speed limits for Indiana”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/questions-on-default-speed-limits-for-indiana/83821. 
• SR for state roads (December 17, 2018)

New York

• Welty, Richard (February 3, 2010). “ref tags and "reference routes"”. tagging mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/tagging/2010-February/001406.html. 
• Welty, Richard (November 30, 2017). “note to armchair mappers about NYS routes & ref tags”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2017-November/018184.html.  [41]

North Carolina

• Power, Gregory (May 18, 2024). “Thread in #tagging”. OSMUS Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/C2VJAJCS0/p1716059492948629. 

Ohio

• SR vs US:OH (April 17, 2009)
• Ref for Overlapped Routes (April 17, 2009)
• ref formats (July 14, 2009)

Pennsylvania

• Pundt, Albert (November 11, 2018). “Thoughts on a standard "ref" abbreviation for PA Turnpike?”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2018-November/019006.html. 
• Hietsch, Ben (March 22, 2021). “[no title]”. #local-pennsylvania. Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/CCXTWMCJ3/p1616449190006400. 

Texas

• Iacullo, Sam (November 6, 2015). “Current Texas State Highway ref is incorrect”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2015-November/015637.html. 
• TravGW (March 15, 2021). “[no title]”. #local-texas. Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/C0140BW761Z/p1615826956009300. 
• Nguyễn, Minh (April 1, 2021). “[no title]”. #local-texas. Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/C0140BW761Z/p1617311331007700. 
• Nguyễn, Minh (May 16, 2021). “[no title]”. #local-texas. Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/C0140BW761Z/p1621214181037800. 
• plankmax0 (March 25, 2024). “Edits to reference name to more clearly and consistently describe the TEXpress, Express, and HOV lane system”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/edits-to-reference-name-to-more-clearly-and-consistently-describe-the-texpress-express-and-hov-lane-system/110949. 
• Smalley, Clay (April 26, 2024). “Should ref=* for Texas State Highways begin with “TX” or “SH”?”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/should-ref-for-texas-state-highways-begin-with-tx-or-sh/112783. 

Utah

• Xvtn (April 19, 2024). “Utah State Highway Ref Tagging”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/utah-state-highway-ref-tagging/112069. 

Washington

• AAA_AAA_AAA (May 5, 2024). “Washington State Route name and ref tag changes”. OpenStreetMap Community Forum. https://community.openstreetmap.org/t/washington-state-route-name-and-ref-tag-changes/112827. 
• Nguyen, Minh (May 6, 2024). “Thread in #local-washington-state”. OSMUS Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/C1FKE1NCA/p1714987634453139. 

Wisconsin

• hobbesvsboyle (June 6, 2024). “Thread in #local-wisconsin”. OSMUS Slack. https://osmus.slack.com/archives/CDQN90CBW/p1717677647463519. 

Recreational trails

• Kenny, Kevin (September 4, 2016). “Tagging for NY snowmobile trails?”. talk-us-newyork mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us-newyork/2016-September/000047.html. 
• Brown, Mark (October 11, 2020). “Reference numbers to use for hiking trail route relations”. talk-us mailing list. https://lists.openstreetmap.org/pipermail/talk-us/2020-October/020722.html.