📖 Documentation: https://osm-merge.github.io/osm-merge/
🖥️ Source Code: https://github.com/osm-merge/osm-merge
This is a project for conflating external map datasets with OpenStreetMap with the ultimate goal of importing it into OpenStreetMap. It is oriented towards processing non OSM external datasets and supports conflation of field data collection using OpenDataKit, as well as other external datasets.
The goal of this project is focused on improving remote highway and trail metadata to assist with emergency and recreational access in remote areas. This project uses several data sources to improve the existing highway features in OpenStreetMap. The current data in OpenStreetMap was often imported complete with bugs in the original dataset, or the only details are highway=track. All of these have a US forest service reference number and name. Adding those makes it much easier to identify where you are and to communicate a location over a radio or phone.
There is also access information in the datasets that is useful. This includes access for vehicle types, horses, public/private, etc... that is useful for OpenStreetMap.
The other goal of this project is to support field data collection using OpenDataKit. The osm-fieldwork project can be used to convert the ODK data files into GeoJson and OSM XML. This project then supports conflating that field collected data with current OpenStreetMap. Otherwise this is a time-consuming process to do manually. This can be used with the Field Mapping Tasking Manager (FMTM) to process the collected data for validation and uploading to OpenStreetMap.
I'm working on a website for all the converted and processed data files that covers every national park or forest for the entire US. From the US forest service there are several datasets with a good license for OpenStreetMap. Warning, these are large files, so hard to work with at first. This project uses a huge amount of data (and disk space) if you start from the original nation wide datasets, which are too large to edit. There is a contrib script in the git sources I use to start breaking down the huge files into managable pieces.
The MVUM data hasn't changed in years, so splitting everything up is a one-time task. For OpenStreetMap extracts all the data extracts of highways can be regenerated in a few hours, so it's possible to stay closely in sync with upstream. The original files are available from these sources.
- Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM)
- USFS Trail maps
Much of the process of conflation is splitting huge datasets into managable sized files for data processing. I have that process mostly automated so I can easily regenerate data extracts any time I make improvements to the conversion process. Currently there isn't any conflated data yet, just the convered data files chopped into manageable sized files. The processed map data is available from here. Please note the website is work in progress. Feedback on the data conversion to OpenStreetMap tagging is appreciated.
This project comprises of a main program, and multiple utilities. The utilities are used to prepare the datasets for conflating by fixing known bugs. It is very difficult to conflate datasets with wildly different data schemas, so making all the data use a consistent schema is important so tags can be compared.
The utility programs are used for all data cleaning and other tasks needed to conflate the data files. Known bugs in the datasets are fixed where possible, for example, expanding abbreviations so Rd becomes Road, etc... and also drops all the extraneous fields that aren't for OpenStreetMap. The fields we are most interested in are the name, the official reference number, and the access values.
- tm-splitter.py
- Generate task grids for the Tasking Manager
- mvum.py
- Convert forest service MVUM datasets to OpenStreetMap
- trails.py
- Convert forest service datasets to OpenStreetMap
- usgs.py
- Convert USGS topographical datasets to OpenStreetMap
- osmhighways.py
- Data janitor for OpenStreetMap, delete tiger:, etc...
This program doesn't require a database, unlike the other conflation programs in this project, although adding database support is on the TODO list. It is focused on conflating rural highways and hiking trails. It can also conflate OpenDataKit with OpenStreetMap.
It supports conflating any two datasets in either GeoJson or OSM format. While this is currently under heavy development and debugging. I've been processing large amounts of data to track down all the obscure bugs in the original datasets, or the conflation process.
Anyone motivated is welcome to contribute to both the software, or just using these tools and the data for your own map improvements. This is a huge amount of data, as the original source files are nationwide. I'm just focused on my part of the western US. Help improving OpenStreetMap accuracy in remote areas of your own state is a good idea, and can save lives in an emergency. Be a data janitor!