OpenStreetMap
I’ve found the parking lot signs aren’t that useful on the University of Wisconsin campus, if you’re not familiar with the various lots. Some lots require a permit, and some are metered parking. If you’re permit-less and looking for somewhere to park, the signs at the entryway to each lot are not that useful from a distance. Each has a red band at the top with white lettering indicating either “PERMIT REQUIRED” or “METERS ENFORCED” above the common “Monday-Friday, 7am-4:30pm”. From a distance, since both are red bands, and two words long, it’s hard to distinguish at a glance, before turning into the lot itself.
The UW parking map (http://transportation.wisc.edu/files/14_15ParkingMap.jpg) isn’t much more helpful, only differentiating the permit-vs.-meter lots with a “M” symbol on the metered lots.
So, I started tagging the parking lots in OpenStreetMap with the proper “access” tags, and hopefully some parking app can parse them and make an easier parking experience while on-campus.
The permit-required lots are:
access=private access:conditional=public @ Mo-Fr 00:00-07:00,16:30-24:00; Sa-Su 00:00-24:00
And the metered lots are:
access=public fee=yes @ Mo-Fr 07:00-16:30
Discussion
Comment from 4rch on 8 July 2014 at 10:41
Is access=public an valid value? I couldn’t find it here: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Access#Values
Wouldn’t access=yes fit better? Definition: “The public has an official, legally-enshrined right of access, i.e. it’s a right of way”
Comment from Midnightlightning on 8 July 2014 at 13:19
Oh yeah, you’re right!
Comment from Midnightlightning on 8 July 2014 at 13:22
Oh, I know why I did that now; the in-browser editor iD has “public” as an “access” option in the drop-down, but not “yes”. Should probably either update the editor or the wiki page about the access tag…
Comment from 4rch on 9 July 2014 at 18:13
It’s a bug in iD, I’ve reported it.
Comment from 4rch on 9 July 2014 at 19:22
should be fixed.