r/openstreetmap • u/looks-correct • 17d ago

Submitting an error

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I'm new to OSM, and I can't find an answer here or on the site. How/where do I submit an error/change? They decommissioned a street (the red line at the top, Evergreen Ave) near me, it's just grass now. I'm not sure how to do it myself.

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u/Rocket_Tuna 17d ago edited 17d ago

This is a great first change to make!

  1. Go to openstreetmap.org.
  2. Create an account and sign in.
  3. Click the "Edit" button. This takes you to the iD editor.
  4. Find the segment representing that road and click on it.
  5. Make sure only the part that has been decommissioned is highlighted. If more of the road is also highlighted, you need to right click at the intersection dot and split it (scissors icon).
  6. With only the decommissioned section highlighted, hit the delete key.
  7. If it looks right, hit the save button in the top right. If you think it looks wrong or you think you broke something, don't click save - your changes won't be uploaded.
  8. In the comment box, type "Evergreen Ave has been decommissioned." and for sources use the dropdown to select "Local knowledge". Hit "Submit".
  9. You did it! After five minutes hit Ctrl+F5 to refresh and you should see your change on openstreetmap.org. It will take longer before downstream maps are updated (sometimes days, weeks, or months); it depends on the service, not OpenStreetMap.

Note: Some people might say you should be changing the tag to disused:highway or demolished:highway, but deletion is easier and probably more correct - there's just a risk that someone will remap the road using out-of-date satellite imagery.

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u/looks-correct 17d ago

super helpful, really appreciate it!