Bike route preferences

[David Turner]

I noticed that in the Portland area, there are a number of OSM ways
marked highway=unsurfaced. In OTP, we have two major routing modes for
bicycles: QUICK, meaning the fastest route, and SAFE, meaning the
safest. The question is: should highway=unsurfaced ways be dispreferred
for either or both of these modes? And, if so are dispreferred, by how
much should they be dispreferred? That is, if the choice between riding
one mile on a highway=unsurfaced way vs N miles on a highway=residential
way, what is N?

For other highway=, should we also have differing preferences? At
present, my Portland configuration has some basic rules (mostly from
Zsombor Welker), listed at the bottom of tihs email. They express
absolutes -- a way marked CAR is absolutely forbidden to pedestrians and
cyclists.

We also have support for variable preferences for SAFE routing by OSM
tag (values not given here). But for QUICK routing, there is presently
no support for variable preferences. It would be easy enough to add,
and in fact we will have to add it for cars (we'll call it "speed
limits" there). It seems possible to me that we need a third mode, BEST
or HUMAN or something, which expresses a typical user's preferences for
a little bit of safety, a little bit of speed, and a little bit of
unsurfaced road avoidance. What do cyclists think?

<entry key="highway=motorway" value="CAR" />
<entry key="highway=unsurfaced" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=motorway_link" value="CAR" />
<entry key="highway=trunk" value="CAR" />
<entry key="highway=trunk_link" value="CAR" />

<entry key="highway=primary" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=primary_link" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=secondary" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=secondary_link" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=tertiary" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=tertiary_link" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=unclassified" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=residential" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=living_street" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=road" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=service" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=byway" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=track" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=mini_roundabout" value="ALL" />
<entry key="highway=cycleway" value="PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE" />
<entry key="cycleway=track" value="PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE" />
<entry key="highway=pedestrian" value="PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE" />
<entry key="highway=path" value="PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE" />
<entry key="highway=bridleway" value="PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE" />

<entry key="highway=footway" value="PEDESTRIAN" />
<entry key="highway=steps" value="PEDESTRIAN" />

<entry key="railway=platform" value="PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE" />
<entry key="highway=platform" value="PEDESTRIAN_AND_BICYCLE" />

<entry key="highway=construction" value="NONE" />
<entry key="highway=raceway" value="NONE" />

[Jack Newlevant]

I don't think that highway=unsurfaced is any less SAFE but it will be less QUICK, depending on how rough it is.  I'd say I slow by 20-60% on various unpaved segments that I ride. But for "routing mode", I am still hoping to see OTP use the Atlanta-style (see http://www.trip.atltransit.com/) triangle which lets users choose their own cost blend.  They describe it:
"
NEW: Advanced Bike Routing Options The ability to fine-tune routing preferences for bicycle-based trips has been greatly enhanced. You can now specify the relative importance of trip length, route topography, and roadway/facility type using the new "bike triangle" adjustment widget .
"

Jack Newlevant

On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 10:26 AM, David Turner <nov...@novalis.org> wrote:

I noticed that in the Portland area, there are a number of OSM ways
marked highway=unsurfaced.  In OTP, we have two major routing modes for

....