Baltimore, Maryland/Bus Routes

Phase 0: Planning

Before beginning we had to decide on a few standards. We decided that all routes in the Baltimore area will have the network=Baltimore attribute. We also decided bus operators would be spelled out fully, not abbreviated.

Phase I: Routes

Visually, the most rewarding thing about adding bus route relations is having them appear on the Transport slippy map on the main page. Thus, phase I is mapping routes alone.

Begin by reviewing official schedules and route maps. Using JOSM, select the ways of the bus route in order and then add them to a relation. Working with TIGER street data in Baltimore is tricky, because many roads exist as long ways with many intersections, especially in downtown areas. Before adding disjointed segments to the relation, split them at the intersection where the bus turns. In JOSM, the relation editor will indicate if there are any gaps in the relation. When complete, save changes and then select the relation via the JOSM select procedure (close the relation editor). Using the public transport plugin is the best procedure for tagging the route.

BaltimoreLink Relations

The following tags are being used for the new relations of BaltimoreLink routes:

• network=BaltimoreLink
• name=CityLink or LocalLink XX: [destination]
• public_transport:version=2
• start_date:2017-06-18
• operator=Maryland Transit Administration

BaltimoreLink Naming/Numbering System

The numbering/color system is as follows:

• Colors: CityLink routes (high frequency)
• Numbers 20-49: Crosstown routes that travel around the central core.
• Numbers 50-99: Radial routes that travel toward/away from the central core.