Tag:crossing=zebra
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| Description |
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Using this tag is discouraged, use crossing=uncontrolled / crossing=marked + crossing:markings=zebra (+crossing_ref=zebra) instead.
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| Group: crossings |
| Used on these elements |
| Requires |
| Status: deprecated |
| Tools for this tag |
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Formerly used if the zebra markings and signs are the most relevant prescription at this crossing. This was a refinement of the tag highway=crossing, which should also be present. If there are also traffic lights controlling the crossing, use crossing=traffic_signals instead.
This tag has been formally deprecated by a community vote on 2008-05-18[1] and 2025-05-25[2]. If you want to describe the presence of zebra style markings use crossing:markings=zebra or other values that match the specific zebra markings pattern present. If you want to describe a type of crossing use crossing_ref=* instead.
Software support
Editors
In v1.4.0, released in May 2014, iD added a Crosswalk preset tagged crossing=. [1] At the time, this tag was documented as shorthand for crossing=uncontrolled crossing_ref=zebra in the United Kingdom, the term "zebra crossing" originated. However, it was already widespread abroad,[3] and iD did not yet have the ability to limit a preset to a specific geography.
In v2.12.0, released December 2018, crossing= was replaced with crossing=marked in the Marked Crosswalk preset. An unsearchable Marked Crosswalk preset remained for features already tagged crossing=. [2]
In v2.15.0, released March 2019, crossing= was marked deprecated; a validator warning encouraged the user to migrate the tag to crossing=marked highway=crossing. [3] This has attracted controversy. This change was reverted in v2.17.0, released December 2019, due to ambiguity issues raised by mappers. [4]
Renderers
OSM2World applies a white-striped texture to the crossing way. [5]
Straßenraumkarte Neukölln applies white stripes to the crossing [6] and reserves a parking-free buffer zone around the crossing that is larger than for crossing=marked. [7]
Routers
OpenSidewalks converts this tag to crossing:markings=yes. [8]
MOTIS Per Pedes Routing indicates whether the crossing is marked [9][10] and can calculate a detour that avoids unmarked, unsignalized crossings. [11]
See also
crossing=*- for an overview of crossing taggingcrossing=uncontrolled- for uncontrolled crossingscrossing=marked- for a generic marked crossing regardless of specific markingscrossing_ref=zebra- a way to record only the markings or a type of crossing, depending on the interpretation.crossing:markings=yes– for a generic marked crossing regardless of specific markingscrossing:markings=zebra– specifically for the "zebra" stripes used for marked crossings in many countries, as opposed to other marking patterns- Proposal:Deprecate crossing=zebra in favor of crossing:markings
References
- ↑ https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/w/index.php?oldid=132309
- ↑ Proposal:Deprecate crossing=zebra in favor of crossing:markings
- ↑ According to Ohsome Dashboard, in June 2014, there were about 1,800 occurrences of
crossing=on nodes in the United Kingdom compared to 7,300 worldwide. There were 4,400 occurrences ofcrossing_ref=zebrain the United Kingdom compared to 102,000 worldwide. Inanimate alternatives such ascrossing=uncontrolledandcrossing=markedwere used on 255,000 nodes and fewer than 600 nodes respectively worldwide.
