I’ve contributed to OpenStreetMap (OSM) in the past but mostly as part of Azavea’s monthly HOTLunch where we work on open mapping campaigns across the globe by adding features visible on satellite imagery. Closer to home in southeast Pennsylvania, the map has always seemed pretty complete and I’ve struggled to find edits to contribute - pretty much all of the roads and interesting buildings are mapped. But then the other day I saw that a local trail we use for evening walks was missing and a short time later I was able to make my first local edit using a GPS track!
It turns out that the process pretty straightforward, thanks to the OSM community’s documentation. First, my wife and I went for a walk and recorded our track using a smartphone app capable of exporting GPX files. Once back home, we uploaded the trace to my user account at https://openstreetmap.org/traces, opened the online iD Editor centered on the trace, and then created a new way manually following the general contours of the trace. For tagging our edits, iD Editor gives hints and links to documentation for all supported tags. Using this information we were able to tag our edit as a “private land permissive use trail open only to foot traffic”. If you’re unfamiliar with editing OSM, the iD Editor provides a comprehensive walkthrough of how to use the editor when you first open it.
Our contribution was a fun way to spend a few hours on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. We’re now on the lookout for a whole host of other leisure features to add to the map that I hadn’t considered before, all of which are described on the OSM wiki, such as biking trails, dog parks, climbing routes, and golf courses!