Tag:access=designated

See also: UK public rights of way for mapping in the UK.

The designated value, when used with a mode of transport key, indicates that a route has been specially designated (typically by a government) for use by a particular mode (or modes) of transport. Typically it is used on ways legally dedicated to specific modes of travel by a law or by the rules of traffic. The specific meaning varies according to jurisdiction. It may imply extra usage rights for the given mode of transport.

The value designated is not meant to imply that OpenStreetMap access=* permissions have been automatically "designated" only to that transport mode! If an element is meant only to be used by specific designated transport methods (overriding whatever defaults may exist for that way), use access=no in addition of the *=designated value. See Transport Mode Restrictions using "access" for further clarification; access=* is the top level of a transport mode hierarchy of restrictions.

For example: access=designated makes no sense but bicycle=designated makes perfect sense.

designated ways are intended to be usable for the designated purpose(s). If real world usability does not match designation the ways should be still tagged as designated with additional tags such as for example smoothness=horrible to describe the real world (un)usability.

Examples

Some places have designated snowmobile routes everywhere

The trail marked with the sign shown in the example picture (top right):

• highway=*
• bicycle=designated
• foot=designated
• horse=designated
• snowmobile=designated
• ski=designated

A UK bridleway:

• highway=path
• horse=designated
• bicycle=yes
• foot=yes

A UK cycleway:

• highway=path
• bicycle=designated
• foot=yes

A UK footway:

• highway=path
• foot=designated
• bicycle=no
• horse=no

A truck route in the USA:

• highway=*
• hgv=designated

A motorway exit allowing only hov=* vehicles, and restricting any other type

• highway=*
• access=no
• hov=designated

A footway (continental Europe):

• highway=path
• foot=designated
• bicycle=no
• horse=no

or

• highway=path
• foot=official

A cycleway (continental Europe):

• highway=path
• bicycle=designated
• foot=yes/no depending on country
• horse=no

or

• highway=path
• bicycle=official

A combined footway and cycleway:

• highway=path
• bicycle=designated
• foot=designated
• (horse=yes in some countries)
• (moped=yes in some countries)
• segregated=no

or

• highway=path
• bicycle=official
• foot=official
• segregated=no

A segregated combined footway and cycleway:

• highway=path
• bicycle=designated
• foot=designated
• segregated=yes
• (horse=yes in some countries)
• (moped=yes in some countries)

Note that there is also access=yes and its variants that is correct in many cases. For example a footway where cycling is legal, but is not a cycleway:

• highway=footway
• bicycle=yes

Possible tagging mistakes