OSM Summer Mapathon: Bus Stops

Quickstart

1. Create an OpenStreetMap account if you don't have one. Go to openstreetmap.org, click Sign Up, and follow the instructions.
2. Log in to your OpenStreetMap account at openstreetmap.org.
3. Move the map to an area you would like to edit, then click Edit at the top of the page.
4. You can follow the walkthrough now or do it later through the Help menu.
5. We'll use points for bus stops. To draw one, click the Point button and click on the map to add the point.
6. On the left of the page, search for "bus stop" and click on Bus Stop when it appears.
7. Still on the left of the page, you should see a form where you can add information about the bus stop. Fill in Name and set Bench and Shelter to Yes if those are present at the bus stop.
8. Add more bus stops as you like.
9. Before you are done editing, you need to save your work. Click Save, add a comment (for example, "Add bus stops"), and click Upload. Now your changes are available to anyone using OSM!

That should be enough to get you going, what follows is background information if you are interested.

What is OpenStreetMap (OSM)?

A free map of the world that works similar to a wiki--anyone can add and edit data. The map is a community-driven project with no single entity in charge of how data is mapped.

Why is it useful?

The map data is free, so you can find free apps that include the map data. Many web maps use OpenStreetMap for the base layer (streets, buildings, water). As you improve the map data you improve these services for yourself and others.

A few apps let you download the map data to your phone to view later such as MAPS.ME and OsmAnd. This is really helpful when you're abroad or in other places with limited data availability.

How do I get data out?

If you want to make your own maps with OpenStreetMap data you can use a tool such as Overpass Turbo. For example, this query will get all the bus stops in and around NYC.

How do I map bus stops?

Tools you can use

• iD, especially with Mapillary imagery
• Jungle Bus (Android)
• Go Map!! (iPhone)
• OsmAnd (iPhone and Android)
• Field Papers lets you print out a map of the area you're going to so you can draw directly on the map

What to map

Find a bus stop, and put a point as close to the stop as you can get it. Put it on the sidewalk, not the street. Once you draw the point, specify that the point is a bus stop. Keep an eye out for extras such as benches and shelters, and specify whether they exist or not.

That's plenty, but if you would like to add more there are a few optional attributes you could gather. One is the exact name of the bus stop (usually this is the name of the streets that make up the intersection the stop is at).

Tagging

OpenStreetMap uses tags to describe the attributes of a thing such as a bus stop. You can add as many or as few of these as you need to describe the bus stop.

Only one tag is required:

• highway=bus_stop

We'd like to gather whether the stop has a bench or a shelter. If so, add them:

• bench=yes
• shelter=yes

Other optional information:

• name=* (the name of this stop, such as Broadway & Barclay St)
• route_ref=* (the names of the routes that stop here, such as B54)

Other resources

• Intro to OSM by Mele Sax-Barnett