Talk:Tag:barrier=block

Large flower buckets

Does this tag also apply to large flower buckets that are placed on roads as barriers? Example images: [1] [2] [3] --Head 12:43, 31 August 2010 (BST)

Yes, if they were put in place as a barrier to some kinds of vehicle rather than just nice-looking traffic calming. --achadwick 17:06, 26 April 2011 (BST)

Barrier=planter was suggested for large flowerpots on the tagging maillist, or man_made=planter and barrier=block. /Johan Jönsson 20:50, 4 September 2012 (BST)

Gates / any barrier

Also gates (example)? Does this tag apply to any barrier? --Owenh 03:17, 20 April 2011 (BST)

Definitely not: this is quite a specific kind of barrier. See barrier=gate for gates, and barrier=* for lots of different kinds of barrier ☺ --achadwick 17:06, 26 April 2011 (BST)

Default access

Does this type of barrier placed on a middle of highway=service for example means that will stop larger vehicles, but will permit bicycles and pedestrian, or some access=* tags are still needed? --mafiainc 23:58, 06 May 2011

Not sure what to say here, though we probably should say something. Adding some access tags is probably a good idea, you can state motor_vehicle=no, for example. IMO, perhaps this should be the default. --achadwick 14:14, 9 May 2011 (BST)

I agree that motor_vehicle=no (or at least motorcar=no) and foot/bicycle=yes (or permissive). I usually just tag every barrier explicitly with at least motor_vehicle, foot, and bicycle though. --Olejorgenb 21:48, 20 September 2011 (BST)

• In barrier=bollard we see "access=no, foot=yes, bicycle=yes" by default. I propose to add the same text in this page. Dinamik (talk) 18:14, 24 June 2013 (UTC)

For the obvious cases, each feature, like a bollard, is intended to restrict a certain type or a group of users. Usually third part routing services will create the default rules of such feature. On another hand, a motorcycle'ss restriction may be added to the the bollard or on the way itself (this may change the rendering if a specific code behavior has been integrated).

As for the access tag, it's a shortcut tag for the general access of an element, it should not be used in coordination with other specific access tags, it will confuse how third part services should interpret the combination. It's best to stay simple and harmonize the use of the tags. --SHARCRASH (talk) 13:46, 22 November 2018 (UTC)

block barriers as ways

I wonder why block barriers are only allowed as points. In reality, large lines of concrete blocks could be placed as traffic dividers or to temporarily shape traffic in a particular direction.

Because usually in line they rather form a wall, like bricks joined together form a wall. In practice it changes how users have to deal with the feature. With a single block on a way, pedestrians, cyclists can still use the way, but let's imagine on a temporary junction as you suggested, blocks in line are often intended to restrict pedestrians also because often there are no other safe features yet installed, for example like crossings. We have to think how each of the feature deals with pedestrians, cyclists, normal vehicles, GHV... since this is for a map.--SHARCRASH (talk) 13:36, 22 November 2018 (UTC)

I don't see why a block way would imply a wall? I'm currently mapping a parking lot in an urban area that is blocked off from an adjacent street with 98 meters of large blocks, each about 1.5 meters long, with gaps between them wide enough for pedestrians and cyclists (but not cars). Mapping each individual block seems silly, but it seems as relevant as any other type of barrier, so should be mapped. And as OP said, if you had them for traffic dividers, that also would imply a barrier that stops cars but not cyclists, and wouldn't be readily representable as individual nodes. --Jtracey (talk) 01:43, 19 December 2020 (UTC)

Is rock also a barrier=block?

is it barrier=block?

Is rock also a barrier=block?

See https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:No_Cars-1_(6459138661).jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:No_Cars-2_(6459134699).jpg Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 06:42, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

Personally i did record natural boulders placed purposely on ways as barrier=block. Authorities use them as an easier and cheaper mean for the same purpose. The purpose is to block large vehicles vs allow smaller users to pass in between, have an unmovable barrier for no exceptions in contrary of bollards for example, etc. Just checked back now the description, it does say though: "sometimes natural boulders are used for the same purpose". --SHARCRASH (talk) 18:44, 16 April 2021 (UTC)

Thanks SHARCRASH! Mateusz Konieczny (talk) 05:32, 17 April 2021 (UTC)

Same question came to my mind several times, thought a few times about it, here the result:

• The material does IMHO not matter in this case, i.e. whether a rock/stone or a concrete structures does block the way does not matter for map or routing or emergency cases, because the effect is the same for both materials: It's a so large + heavy barrier you cannot easily move it aside, it's so hard you can't easily bend it away or crush it, but you could climb over it because it is robust enough. That makes a crucial difference to other barriers like barrier=fence or barrier=bollard, for which many apps do explicitly ask for the material as the material does allow to distinguish whether the barrier may be broken in emergency cases even with relatively light tools – or not.
• Origin does IMHO not matter, i.e. wether a large stone was moved by humans to a living street in the city, or in rural mountainous area by a natural rock fall onto a track or path. Of course, the naturally placed rock is more prone to be moved aside than one placed by humans, but if the highway is in use with vehicles requiring more width than availbale, the rock will usually be moved aside before we map it because especially in rural areas the people usually have heavy tools/machinery available so they can help themselves (i.e. one single person bothered by the stone will be enough that the barrier is removed), and if the highway is not used by blocked vehicles, noone will care, so the rock may reside for years and thus it makes sense to be mapped.
• As the values stone and rock are used only <1k times while block >100k times (see https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/tags/barrier=stone and https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/tags/barrier=rock) and in over 1 year only 1 person cared about Mateusz' question, barrier=block seems to be satisfying virtually all mappers and data users.

Because of all aspects voiced so far in this question, I do not see need to trigger a new barrier value, but will just change the wiki page of barrier=block to more clearly reflect "block" is also to be used for large stones/rocks not only concrete. --Schoschi (talk) 15:55, 23 June 2022 (UTC)

Not sure why you conclude "seems to be satisfying virtually all mappers and data users." from this situation and data alone. There can be many reasons. Viz the tags and this discussion is simply not well known, or recognized yet. Presets have strong influence, and their labels may be interpreted wildly. Another possibility is natural=stone being used directly (there is also moved=*) without barrier=* (needs to be queried); or the feature is simply not added yet, because it is on the side, not center. 1k instances is significant. You don't "need" to activate a new value, when it is already being used.

As originally conceived in Proposed features/barriers, it seems this is meant for a "block" or any unspecified construct, not any blockage or obstacle. material=stone doesn't show it's a rock. block=* is not yet used.

By the sentence, it may mean users are using this tag, in the absence of a better alternative; or rocks are used instead of blocks in reality, not necessarily this tag is supposed to be used for them.

There is already barrier=log (~7k, same order of magnitude as barrier=stone and barrier=rock combined), so I don't see why rocks shouldn't be consistent in representation.

barrier=stone

		$1%
		$1%
		$1%
		$1%

More details at taginfo

More details at taginfo

barrier=rock

		$1%
		$1%
		$1%
		$1%

More details at taginfo

More details at taginfo

Additionally, 70 barrier=rocks, 72 barrier=stones, 66 barrier=boulder, 35 barrier=boulders. There's certainly a demand.

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--- Kovposch (talk) 07:21, 24 June 2022 (UTC)

Is this barrier=block?

Kappa Alpha Psi Block

IanVG (talk) 14:02, 19 November 2021 (UTC)

historic=memorial + memorial=stone + format=squared_stone. ---- Kovposch (talk) 14:18, 19 November 2021 (UTC)

Decisive for a barrier=block is the function the structure has, less the form, I think. If the memorial stone is placed in such a way that it blocks a path or an access road for vehicles, then it can (additionally) be a barrier=block. Otherwise as Kovposch wrote. --Chris2map (talk) 19:49, 19 November 2021 (UTC)