SUMO edge type file

A SUMO edge type file assigns default values for certain attributes to types of roads. It configures NETCONVERT when importing, for example, SUMO XML descriptions, OpenStreetMap files or ArcView files. The type configuration is saved in an XML structure.

This article introduces the file format first. After that, it discusses the application of the SUMO edge type file on certain types of map files and collects reasonable templates for these map files. You are very welcome to provide additional templates for various contexts or to start a discussion about existing templates.

Syntax
The XML root element is called types. It contains a collection of type elements. A type element represents a record with the following attributes:

The names of the SUMO vehicle classes are:


 * By ownership : private, public_transport, public_emergency, public_authority, public_army, vip, ignoring,
 * By size : passenger (a “normal” car), hov, taxi, bus, delivery, transport, lightrail, cityrail, rail_slow, rail_fast, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian.

So an exemplary SUMO edge type file looks like:

 

Templates for OpenStreetMap
The SUMO edge type file defines default values for some tags, which are taken if no explicit value is given for a certain road in a OpenStreetMap file. So the OpenStreetMap tags maxspeed, lanes and oneway override these defaults. If the map is tagged correctly, these tags should only be omitted if their value equals an implicitly assumed value. In this section, SUMO edge type files are collected that contain these implicit values of OpenStreetMap for various contexts. The following OpenStreetMap pages help to find out the implicit values for the following attributes:


 * allow/disallow : Map features, OSM tags for routing/Access restrictions.
 * numLanes : Map features, Editing standards and conventions, Key:lanes, Key:highway and Tagging scheme by country.
 * priority : Map features.
 * oneway : Key:oneway.
 * speed : Key:maxspeed, OSM tags for routing/Maxspeed, Key:source:maxspeed and Key:traffic_sign. Wikipedia lists the Speed limits by country.

The right values are hard to find. Because they depend at least partly on the legislation (maxspeed, for example); the values vary from country to country. Further context information, like the fact whether a road is inside or outside a city border, may determine the defaults as well. In the following, SUMO edge type files for various contexts are given, using the country as the main ordering criterion. The lists and files contain only way types as they correspond to SUMO edges; node and area types (like highway=services) are not considered. You are very welcome to provide additional templates for various contexts or to start a discussion about existing templates.

Germany
In Germany, the legislation for the speed limit distinguishes roads inside from those outside city borders, roads with a central barrier separation from those without, and special road like living streets and pedestrian areas. There is no direct connection to the importance of a road. However in OpenStreetMap, a motorway is supposed to have such a central barrier separation per default. As a consequence, the maxspeed value only varies between rural and urban contexts but not between road types, except for motorways, living streets and pedestrian areas. The two SUMO edge type files are given next, a table with all values and references after them.

Only few data is available about the railway types. The most important document might be the Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsordnung (EBO), but even that did not help me much. So the given values are mostly personal opinion, except if a reference is given. More references are very welcome.