Contributing commercial vehicle GPS traces from Kerala — a routing approach
I’ve been working on a method to convert commercial vehicle telematics data into useful GPX traces for OSM contribution in Kerala.
The problem
Telematics data is segment-based — each record has a start coordinate, end coordinate, timestamp and distance, but no continuous GPS track in between. Uploading these directly produces straight lines which aren’t useful for mapping.
The solution
I set up a local OSRM instance using the Kerala road extract from Geofabrik, then route-matched each segment to the actual road network. This produces GPX traces with thousands of road-following points instead of straight lines.
Results
From two months of data covering Thrissur, Irinjalakuda, Chalakudy, Kodungallur and surrounding areas:
- 141 road-snapped segments uploaded as GPX traces
- 19 high-priority segments flagged as possible unmapped roads
- These will be cross-checked against aerial imagery in JOSM
Next steps
Reviewing the unmapped road candidates in JOSM against Bing aerial imagery. More vehicle data from the same region will be processed and contributed regularly.
If anyone in the Kerala OSM community has experience with similar data or wants to collaborate on reviewing unmapped road candidates, feel free to reach out.
Tools used: Python, OSRM (self-hosted), gpxpy
Contributing commercial vehicle GPS traces from Kerala — a routing approach
Ive been working on a method to convert commercial vehicle telematics data into useful GPX traces for OSM contribution in Kerala.OpenStreetMap
A special opportunity: presenting OpenStreetMap to the Pedagogical University of Maputo (Mozambique)
Yesterday I cleaned up some map data by removing unnecessary email and unrelated details from several objects. I am learning and trying to follow proper OpenStreetMap mapping guidelines.
[This is a work in progress, IANAL and this isnt legal advice]
My name is Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Nwosu, a 300-level student of the Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Port Harcourt. This diary documents my Industrial Training (I.T.) programme as I undergo it.
After careful thought, deliberation, and counsel from my mentor and my brother, I decided to carry out my I.T. programme at the Mapathon Center of the Unique Mappers Team, University of Port Harcourt. I officially resumed on Tuesday, the 11th of May 2026.
On my first day at the Mapathon Center, I had the pleasure of meeting several interesting individuals who, like me, were present for their Industrial Training. Among them were Matel, who serves as our I.T. representative, and Wisdom, both students from the Department of Geology, Rivers State University, and two of my coursemates from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management: Rania and Obasi Emmanuel. I also learned of a few other trainees I had yet to meet in person.
Notably, I was able to complete a part of the week’s assigned task on this very first day. The task required me to create a map of the University of Port Harcourt, situating it within the context of Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole, while clearly indicating the locations of Abuja Park and Delta Park within the university.
After careful thought, deliberation, and counsel from my mentor and my brother, I decided to carry out my I.T. programme at the Mapathon Center of the Unique Mappers Team, University of Port Harcourt. I officially resumed on Tuesday, the 11th of May 2026.
On my first day at the Mapathon Center, I had the pleasure of meeting several interesting individuals who, like me, were present for their Industrial Training. Among them were Matel, who serves as our I.T. representative, and Wisdom, both students from the Department of Geology, Rivers State University, and two of my coursemates from the Department of Geography and Environmental Management: Rania and Obasi Emmanuel. I also learned of a few other trainees I had yet to meet in person.
Notably, I was able to complete a part of the week’s assigned task on this very first day. The task required me to create a map of the University of Port Harcourt, situating it within the context of Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole, while clearly indicating the locations of Abuja Park and Delta Park within the university.
On the quiet early morning of 18 July 2018, pilgrims from the Mega Arafah Hajj Guidance Group (KBIH Mega Arafah) gathered at the Mega Arafah office near Gedung Sate.
Fillet Tools: a small JOSM plugin for rounding corners
Fillet Tools: a small JOSM plugin for rounding corners
I made a small JOSM plugin called Fillet Tools ().OpenStreetMap
Tornadoes are very complex natural disasters involving many shapes and sizes. For a tornado to be on the ground, Look for rotating dust on the ground. The funnel does
## NOT
have to touch the ground to be considered a tornado.
## NOT
have to touch the ground to be considered a tornado.
Hiking has become a popular choice for many outdoor enthusiasts. Especially since the spread of COVID in the early 2020s, hiking has gained widespread popularity.
Twin Ports Warehouse & Storage
I got into looking into maps and understanding where everything is. I’m at the point where if I’m at a location I’ve never been before, I will start looking all around me and then using my brain to put everything into OpenStreetMap. I love this website. It’s like a passion project when nothing else sounds fun. Anyway… The point of this Diary is all the changes I added to different locations around the northern parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Here is what I wanted to update users past and present on what changes I made.
– 05/09/2026 – Location: 46°44’03.6”N 92°04’46.8”W
I want to thank the community for not deleting @MidwestMapGeek’s building outline. Today, I came here to fix what is the updated version. My goal is to help Semi Drivers and anyone trying to get to this company’s site. You are amazing @MidwestMapGeek
- Used Bing Maps Aerial to redraw buildings
– Changeset Number: 182447332 –
5/09/2026
I got into looking into maps and understanding where everything is. Im at the point where if Im at a location Ive never been before, I will start looking all around me and then using my brain to put everything into OpenStreetMap. I love this website.OpenStreetMap
Generally speaking, Lifecycle Prefixes mean that when something is no longer in use, a tag such as gets changed to . That should be straightforward, but sometimes creeps in.
Welcome to my first entry in OSM.
I have been quite interested in being here every once in a while, it actually helps the fact that there’s a map that needs constant updating and can actually do something.
So far, from what I’ve done within my local city of London, Ontario, I finished up:
- New Plaza at Fanshawe/Highbury
- Bus routes
- Road classification
- Fixing of OSM notes
- Coveted new developments at the South and West sides of the city.
How to clear an entire city of unfixed notes and outdated places?
I have been quite interested in being here every once in a while, it actually helps the fact that theres a map that needs constant updating and can actually do something.OpenStreetMap
Silos. Map ‘em. As many as you can. Lovely round, tall silos. Almost never singular. Search for them in farmyards, along railroads. Bonus points for mapping the elevator, truck scales, other assorted buildings and even adding operator.
I love OSM being first. So I went straight out to take GPS trace of new roundabout on our towns bypass, almost as soon as bypass re-opened.
Today marks three years since I joined the OpenStreetMap community in May 2023. I am posting this diary entry at the exact time I published my first changeset, which I still remember clearly for its simple message: “add more data.”
It’s a straightforward phrase, but over these three years, it’s really shaped my journey as a mapper. What began as a tiny contribution has blossomed into a deep commitment to mapping my area in as much detail as possible.
Right now, I’m focused on two main goals for our region:
There’s a lot to tackle, but as I’ve realized over these three years, the best way to map a country is one node at a time. The upcoming changesets will make OpenStreetMap one of the most accurate maps of Tulcea, providing a level of detail that other commercial map services simply cannot match. I can’t wait to see the map evolve even further.
It’s a straightforward phrase, but over these three years, it’s really shaped my journey as a mapper. What began as a tiny contribution has blossomed into a deep commitment to mapping my area in as much detail as possible.
Main Objectives
Right now, I’m focused on two main goals for our region:
Power Grid: I’m mapping every single power line in Tulcea County, from the high voltage transmission lines to the medium and low voltage lines which provide power to every town and village.
Improving Every Town: Besides the infrastructure, I aim to enhance the data for every town in Tulcea County. This involves cleaning up geometry, adding missing POIs, and making sure the map accurately reflects our local communities.
There’s a lot to tackle, but as I’ve realized over these three years, the best way to map a country is one node at a time. The upcoming changesets will make OpenStreetMap one of the most accurate maps of Tulcea, providing a level of detail that other commercial map services simply cannot match. I can’t wait to see the map evolve even further.
#2 - Three years of OpenStreetMap
Today marks three years since I joined the OpenStreetMap community in May 2023. I am posting this diary entry at the exact time I published my first changeset, which I still remember clearly for its simple message: add more data.OpenStreetMap
Removed Plateau Peak Trail. During SAR search (Dec 30) it was discovered the trail was no longer visible on the ground. Parallel trail still visible and provided access to Plateau Peak as verified by GPS.
Removed Plateau Peak Trail. During SAR search (Dec 30) it was discovered the trail was no longer visible on the ground. Parallel trail still visible and provided access to Plateau Peak as verified by GPS.
Removed Plateau Peak Trail. During SAR search (Dec 30) it was discovered the trail was no longer visible on the ground. Parallel trail still visible and provided access to Plateau Peak as verified by GPS.
So here are my experiences in installing Panoramax instance OSM-HR. Ive made this from notes taken at a time, so hopefully I did not miss too much. Let me know if I did.
When I first arrived at DTU, I was surprised to discover that the map quality was largely inferior to the one back in my home country, France, and was lacking a lot of details, the most crucial being emergency-related appliances and infrastructure.
I would have expected a leading engineering university to have correct, if not excellent, mapping across its campuses, but seemingly that is not the case. I was a bit disappointed because if Denmark values inclusive design a lot, at least on paper, there is very little activity to make these accessible infrastructures easily reachable by their main targets. I guess full support for these features might also be lacking across the variety of apps using OSM data (without considering that these apps are not used by the majority of people), but yeah, a bit of a disappointment here.
So I randomly started mapping around DTU campus, sometimes raising awareness among people around me, sometimes being told to “get a life” (jokingly), but in my opinion, volunteering for something collaborative, be it a charity or an online collaborative map, adds a lot of value to one’s life. You don’t do things for yourself only. Okay, it might be a bit addictive at some point, and you might make changes that are so niche that no one cares besides yourself, but hey, the whole point of collaborative initiatives is also to embrace individual particularities, not to merge them into a bland and vague thing. By looking at the map in different places, you can notice tiny subtleties and tiny additions that show people cared. Even 11 years ago, people cared. Who knows, maybe this contributor passed away since then? Nevertheless, their work is still there and will continue to be refined further. And that is truly beautiful, in my opinion.
That’s all for today. See you later, maybe! 💚
~ Louis
I would have expected a leading engineering university to have correct, if not excellent, mapping across its campuses, but seemingly that is not the case. I was a bit disappointed because if Denmark values inclusive design a lot, at least on paper, there is very little activity to make these accessible infrastructures easily reachable by their main targets. I guess full support for these features might also be lacking across the variety of apps using OSM data (without considering that these apps are not used by the majority of people), but yeah, a bit of a disappointment here.
So I randomly started mapping around DTU campus, sometimes raising awareness among people around me, sometimes being told to “get a life” (jokingly), but in my opinion, volunteering for something collaborative, be it a charity or an online collaborative map, adds a lot of value to one’s life. You don’t do things for yourself only. Okay, it might be a bit addictive at some point, and you might make changes that are so niche that no one cares besides yourself, but hey, the whole point of collaborative initiatives is also to embrace individual particularities, not to merge them into a bland and vague thing. By looking at the map in different places, you can notice tiny subtleties and tiny additions that show people cared. Even 11 years ago, people cared. Who knows, maybe this contributor passed away since then? Nevertheless, their work is still there and will continue to be refined further. And that is truly beautiful, in my opinion.
That’s all for today. See you later, maybe! 💚
~ Louis
Started mapping around the Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
When I first arrived at DTU, I was surprised to discover that the map quality was largely inferior to the one back in my home country, France, and was lacking a lot of details, the most crucial being emergency-related appliances and infrastructure.OpenStreetMap
Making the Map of India Even More Accurate! 🇮🇳📍
I am proud to share that I have successfully completed 100% of TomTom’s project: “India – POIs Located Not on Buildings.”
The primary objective of this project was to correct Points of Interest (POIs) that were not situated within the accurate footprints of buildings. An accurate map not only enhances navigation but is also absolutely essential for emergency services and local businesses.
Project Highlights:
Mission: Data Improvements
Total Contribution: Successfully fixed 631 out of 734 tasks.
Status: 100% Complete.
It has been a fantastic experience collaborating with the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community to make the map even more reliable.
I am proud to share that I have successfully completed 100% of TomTom’s project: “India – POIs Located Not on Buildings.”
The primary objective of this project was to correct Points of Interest (POIs) that were not situated within the accurate footprints of buildings. An accurate map not only enhances navigation but is also absolutely essential for emergency services and local businesses.
Project Highlights:
Mission: Data Improvements
Total Contribution: Successfully fixed 631 out of 734 tasks.
Status: 100% Complete.
It has been a fantastic experience collaborating with the OpenStreetMap (OSM) community to make the map even more reliable.
Mapping isn’t just about finding routes; it’s about helping the world. 🌍📍
I am proud to contribute as a volunteer with United Nations Mappers. I recently achieved Level 5 (Off the Charts). This journey is not merely about statistics, but about reaching out to the communities that need assistance the most.
My Mapping So Far:
Total Swipes: 562+ (For data accuracy)
Total Area: 87 sq. km (Mapped territory)
Projects: Contributed to 9 humanitarian missions
Supported Entities: 2 major organizations
As a volunteer, every swipe I make and every kilometer I map helps facilitate relief operations during times of crisis. 💪
I am proud to contribute as a volunteer with United Nations Mappers. I recently achieved Level 5 (Off the Charts). This journey is not merely about statistics, but about reaching out to the communities that need assistance the most.
My Mapping So Far:
Total Swipes: 562+ (For data accuracy)
Total Area: 87 sq. km (Mapped territory)
Projects: Contributed to 9 humanitarian missions
Supported Entities: 2 major organizations
As a volunteer, every swipe I make and every kilometer I map helps facilitate relief operations during times of crisis. 💪
Proud to be a United Nations Volunteer
Mapping isnt just about finding routes; its about helping the world. 🌍📍OpenStreetMap
Alright, after successfully updating the boundaries in Bali, now, I’m shifting my focus further east across the Lombok Strait. Next stop: Lombok Island.
For those who don’t know, Lombok is a gem in the Lesser Sunda Islands, famous for the Mandalika International Circuit and its world-class surf breaks. It’s a new major tourist hub that definitely deserves some love on the map. I’ve already spent some time mapping the
Baiklah, setelah berhasil mengupdate batas wilayah di Bali, kini saya alihkan fokus saya ke arah timur melintasi Selat Lombok. Selanjutnya: Pulau Lombok.
Bagi yang belum tahu, Lombok adalah permata di Kepulauan Sunda Kecil, terkenal dengan Sirkuit Internasional Mandalika dan ombak selancar kelas dunia. Wilayah ini bisa jadi pusat wisata baru yang layak mendapat perhatian di peta. Sebelumnya, saya telah memetakan
For those who don’t know, Lombok is a gem in the Lesser Sunda Islands, famous for the Mandalika International Circuit and its world-class surf breaks. It’s a new major tourist hub that definitely deserves some love on the map. I’ve already spent some time mapping the
natural=* and landuse=* in the smaller islands.Baiklah, setelah berhasil mengupdate batas wilayah di Bali, kini saya alihkan fokus saya ke arah timur melintasi Selat Lombok. Selanjutnya: Pulau Lombok.
Bagi yang belum tahu, Lombok adalah permata di Kepulauan Sunda Kecil, terkenal dengan Sirkuit Internasional Mandalika dan ombak selancar kelas dunia. Wilayah ini bisa jadi pusat wisata baru yang layak mendapat perhatian di peta. Sebelumnya, saya telah memetakan
natural=* dan landuse=* di pulau-pulau kecilnya.
Hi all, if anyone is attending the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan and wants to organise an OSM / open mappy meetup with me, please reach out or comment on this diary :)
Hi everyone,
I’m currently using the Valhalla API for routing, and I recently started experiencing some issues (e.g., slow responses / failed requests / unexpected results).
The issue occurred on May 4th at around 5:15 PM (Egypt time, UTC+2).
I wanted to check if there is any ongoing outage or known issue with the service at that time.
If anyone else faced similar behavior or has any insights, I’d really appreciate your help.
Thanks in advance!
I’m currently using the Valhalla API for routing, and I recently started experiencing some issues (e.g., slow responses / failed requests / unexpected results).
The issue occurred on May 4th at around 5:15 PM (Egypt time, UTC+2).
I wanted to check if there is any ongoing outage or known issue with the service at that time.
If anyone else faced similar behavior or has any insights, I’d really appreciate your help.
Thanks in advance!
The original work Tout savoir sur la license ODbL : la licence dOpenStreetMap pour cartographier en commun was written in French in 2024 and updated in 2026 by the Fédération des Pros dOSM, a French organization that brings together various companie…
Every three years introvert communities from three Baltic countries try to gather together in one city and discuss things theyve been doing. It is called SotM Baltics, and this year the conference comes again to Riga, Latvia.
1999 and tomorrow it’s 2000, deus volente, and HAL goes off the year after.
Today I did mapping in Baucau. I added some new roads and buildings that are not in OpenStreetMap. I am happy to be able to help the community get a better map.
TomTom Mapping Project Progress
🖋 Project Status: Active (Working on TomTom Map Tasks)
🏆 Achievements:
🧭 Completed approx 30%
💪 Strong position on the Leaderboard
🔐 Key Focus Areas:
🗺 Map Editing
📋 Note Resolution
✅️ Data Accuracy
🎬 Future Action Items:
🤝 Join the next OSM Virtual Meetup via laptop for better participation.
👥 Discuss technical hurdles and mapping issues with the community.
🖋 Project Status: Active (Working on TomTom Map Tasks)
🏆 Achievements:
🧭 Completed approx 30%
💪 Strong position on the Leaderboard
🔐 Key Focus Areas:
🗺 Map Editing
📋 Note Resolution
✅️ Data Accuracy
🎬 Future Action Items:
🤝 Join the next OSM Virtual Meetup via laptop for better participation.
👥 Discuss technical hurdles and mapping issues with the community.
Arbuckle is a small community of about 3500 people in southern Colusa County. My husband and I stop through there a few times a year as we head north. It has gas stations and a fantastic Mexican restaurant on 5th street.
So it seemed like a good place to focus on mapping. I have about 100 homes left on the north west corner of the community. I started the project in January on business trip to Chico.
So it seemed like a good place to focus on mapping. I have about 100 homes left on the north west corner of the community. I started the project in January on business trip to Chico.
While browsing Taginfo I got curious how many elements have at least one key described on the Wiki and how big share of all keys the described ones make up. Therefore, I decided to check it out.
Teaser/screenshot from UrbanEye3D development version. Sport grounds with markings.
I often need to create a single GPX file from multiple related but different GPX files from Garmin and Wikiloc. My use case is finding route recommendations for running based on GPX files.
SORTA operates MetroNow, a microtransit service covering four zones in Hamilton County: Blue Ash/Montgomery, Springdale/Sharonville, Northgate/Mt. Healthy, and Forest Park/Pleasant Run.
After I got some experience with hosting OpenStreetMap tiles during the revival of Openptmap, I wanted to dig deeper into the topic in order to firstly migrate Openptmap to the new flex output so that it can receive incremental updates, and secondly …
