Page 2: Local transport use case

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OpenStreetMap is now also regularly used in local transportation. Anyone sitting on a streetcar in Poznań will discover real-time displays that show the current vehicle position on the screen in the streetcar using the OSM map.

German transport companies also use OSM as the basis for their applications. The timetable information of the Hanover public transport company Üstra, for example, is based on OSM. Interestingly, Üstra relies on a relatively weak representation of the railroad infrastructure, although the streetcar infrastructure in Hanover is particularly useful for orientation.

OpenStreetMap itself offers additional views specifically for cyclists and public transport. But it doesn't always have to be OpenStreetMap.org if you want to use the data. There are some highly specialized and interesting map services, especially in the railroad sector.

These include OpenRailwayMap, for example, which maps railroad infrastructure all over the world. The quality varies greatly from region to region, as correct mapping requires a community that is also familiar with railroad systems. However, in Europe, for example, you can take an excellent look at the track gauges, how many power systems there are - and how complex train control systems are.

With Railwayhistory, a project is currently being set up that lists railroad infrastructure that is no longer in use, of which there is quite a lot in Germany. The focus is currently also on Germany, although numerous neighboring countries are already integrated. A similar project was launched in 2022 by the daily newspaper WAZ. Based on OSM data, it showed how much the rail network in Germany has shrunk in recent decades.

Public transport is currently still a weakness of OpenStreetMap. The maps from Apple, Google or Here work with real-time data. The same applies to extended routes, even if Google's sometimes seems chaotic. Apple Maps, on the other hand, offers map data that looks almost hand-drawn in the public transport sector.

Crisis mapping: a strength of OpenStreetMap

An important aspect of OpenStreetMap is the community. This proves its worth particularly in the event of a disaster, when good map material is sometimes essential for survival. In poorer regions with already poor infrastructure, for example, you cannot expect commercial providers to have up-to-date and detailed map material in the event of an earthquake.

OpenStreetMap is dependent on volunteers. When a tragic event occurs, crisis mappers gather worldwide and quickly map a region in which the road network - or what is left of it in the worst case - must also be remapped.

The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team then takes care of providing local rescue teams with good map data, for example. So far, almost 500,000 people have helped in such situations on the computer and 3.4 million kilometers of road network have been added to OpenStreetMap.

The team takes action quickly in the event of major earthquakes. This was demonstrated by the severe earthquake in Syria and Turkey at the beginning of February 2023. The updated map material helped the rescue teams on site to get through. Crisis Mapping was also able to demonstrate the strengths of OpenStreetMap in its early years. In 2010 - just six years after OSM was created - the earthquake in Haiti was one of the first major deployments for Crisis Mapping.

Competition with Google and Apple

The major competitors cannot match this level of detail. However, Google is able to involve users who, for example, correct opening hours or provide ratings. Google has strengths with other data in the map, but the application is also becoming increasingly overloaded.

Apple Maps works with partners in a similar way, but the data quality is often questionable in this area in particular - it is better not to rely on information about stores, for example.

In practice, this often means using several map services. Whether it's individual countries or specific functions - sometimes one is ahead, sometimes the other. OpenStreetMap is sometimes a supplement, sometimes the most important means of orientation.

Today, it is hard to imagine everyday life without OpenStreetMap - and yet it often remains invisible. The project's data has long been visible in all kinds of applications and ranges from Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen to McMurdo Station in Antarctica - even if the representation of the regions is somewhat distorted, as rendering a globe is still foreign to OpenStreetMap.org.

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