Editing the Map
Introduction
The map data that appears in the dashboard and on your drivers' copilots comes from a service called OpenStreetMap. Real life changes too quickly for any map service to ever be entirely up to date, but one of the advantages of using OpenStreetMap is that you and your colleagues, who know your community best, can directly edit the map yourselves to:
- Add missing roads, buildings, and other features
- Correct any mistakes or provide updated information
- Remove features that are no longer present
The rest of this document describes how to edit OpenStreetMap data to meet your needs. If you prefer video tutorials, see our OpenStreetMap video series.
Getting Started
Your first step is to create an account at OpenStreetMap if you do not already have one, and log in. Accounts are free, and you need not provide your name or affiliation if you wish to remain anonymous.
- Go to openstreetmap.org.
- If you do not have an account yet, click on "sign up" and complete the sign-up process.
- If you are not signed in, sign in.
- In the upper left corner of the screen, enter your desired town or address in the search field. A number of search results will appear; select the one you want.
- Use the mouse and the on-screen zoom controls to find the area you want.
- Click on "edit". The OpenStreetMap editor will open, which is where you will do your map editing.
Add a Road
Sometimes communities grow faster than OpenStreetMap editors can get to them, resulting in a new road not yet appearing on the map. Here's how you can add that road yourself.
Click on the Line tool at the top of the page, then click on the map where the road should start. Continue clicking to set the path of the road. Don't worry about mistakes; these can be fixed in a moment. When you are finished setting the path of the new road, click again on the final point you just made.
If you wish to adjust the line's path, you can double click anywhere on the line to create a new point. Any point can be selected and dragged to where you want it.
You now have a line; read on to make it a road.
In the left column of the screen you will see "select feature type", followed by a list of feature types. We are adding a road, so choose an appropriate road type. There are many, but the ones that school systems commonly use are:
- Residential road: This is often a good choice for urban or suburban streets
- Service road: This is often a good choice for parking aisles, and for access roads on school grounds
- Minor/unclassified road: This is often a good choice for rural roads
Add the road's name or number if it has one. You can optionally indicate any additional characteristics of the road that drivers will want to know, such as being one way.
New roads should connect to the existing road network. An easy way to ensure this is to begin or end your new road at an existing road.
To save your new road, see below.
Add a Building
Have a new school building? Want to have all students' homes, with their addresses, on the map? Here's how to add them.
Click on the Area tool at the top of the page, then click on the map where one corner of the new building belongs. Continue clicking to set the outline of the building. Don't worry about mistakes; these can be fixed in a moment. End your work and enclose the area of the building by clicking again on top of the final point you just made.
To easily give the building's outline right angles, right click on the outline and choose "square". Notice that right clicking also gives other useful editing options.
If you wish to further adjust the building's outline, any point can be selected and dragged to where you want it.
You now have an area; read on to make it a building.
In the left column of the screen you will see "select feature type", followed by a list of feature types. We are adding a building, so choose an appropriate building type. There are many, but two relevant ones are:
- School building
- House
You will probably want to add its address, and if a school or other named building, its name. There are also many other fields; they are optional.
To save your new building, see below.
Adding Parking
Adding parking is similar to adding a building.
Click on the Area tool at the top of the page, then click on the map where one corner of the parking lot is. Continue clicking to set the outline of the parking lot. Don't worry about mistakes; these can be fixed in a moment. End your work and enclose the area of the parking lot by clicking again on top of the final point you just made.
If you wish to further adjust the parking lot's outline, any point can be selected and dragged to where you want it.
You now have an area; read on to make it a parking lot.
In the left column of the screen you will see "select feature type", followed by a list of feature types. Choose "parking lot".
You may want to indicate the allowed access (private, public, etc.). There are also many other fields; they are optional.
To save your new parking lot, see below.
Editing Areas
Click on the building, parking lot, or other area to be edited. As you do so, the area's points become visible.
Once you have edited an area, see below to save your changes.
Adding Points
To add a point, double click on the outline where you want to place it. You can click and drag this or any point to move it. To see additional options, hover over a point and right click to open a context menu.
Removing Points
To remove a point, hover over it, then right click. This opens a context menu. In the menu, click on the trash can icon to delete the point. The area's outline will adjust accordingly.
Renaming Things
When you clicked on the item you want to rename, a column will have opened on the left where you can edit its properties. Find the item's name and change it as desired. If you wish you can edit its other properties here as well.
Saving Changes
Once you have edited the map, save your changes.
Near the top right corner of the browser window, you will see the Save button (see illustration above). Click it. The left panel will change to the following:
In "changeset comment" enter a brief description of your edits, such as "Added Alfred Packer Elementary School". Then click "Upload".
Seeing Your Changes
When you save your changes, they immediately go into OpenStreetMap's servers. Transportant obtains updates from OpenStreetMap every weekend and updates the maps you see on your dashboard and your drivers' copilots. Thus your changes will take up to a week to become visible. If they haven't appeared after than time, please write support@transportant.com so that we can investigate the matter.
Further Information and Getting Help
For additional information, see OpenStreetMap's beginner's guide. Should you need help, OpenStreetMap provides a help and community forum, and of course Transportant's support team at support@transportant.com are always happy to help.
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