Openstreetmap iconOpenstreetmapAug 31, 2026 ~1 min source read

Identifying Missing OSM Footpaths

It made me realize that this personal dataset isn't particularly valuable when I look at individual traces, but it can be made useful once I've collected multiple traces over the same city neighborhood. This sounds like a great use case for aggregated personal data, because you tend to run the same streets most of the time.

Identifying Missing OSM Footpaths

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It made me realize that this personal dataset isn't particularly valuable when I look at individual traces, but it can be made useful once I've collected multiple traces over the same city neighborhood.

This sounds like a great use case for aggregated personal data, because you tend to run the same streets most of the time.

The basic idea is very simple: split GPX files into smaller segments, cluster them, and check whether each cluster maps to a known path or street in OSM.

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The useful part

It made me realize that this personal dataset isn't particularly valuable when I look at individual traces, but it can be made useful once I've collected multiple traces over the same city neighborhood. This sounds like a great use case for aggregated personal data, because you tend to run the same streets most of the time. The basic idea is very simple: split GPX files into smaller segments, cluster them, and check whether each cluster maps to a known path or street in OSM.

How it works

  • Then create an OSM extract for the new paths, along with the original GPX files, so that edits in JOSM are faster.
  • The slow part is making the edits, but at least you are aware of where OSM is incomplete in your neighborhood.

What to take from it

The problem is that I have no idea where OSM ways are missing.

Details worth keeping

Whenever I run, I carry a GPX device to track my route. Over time, I've collected a large set of personal GPX traces.

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