OS Open Roads Data

Simplification

The detail within OS Open Roads is automatically generalised from Ordnance Survey large-scale data. Simplification is the process of reducing the scale and complexity of data whilst maintaining the important elements and characteristics of the location.

OS Open Roads simplification comprises the following processes:

• Selection/omission – Some features that display at higher resolutions are removed at the lower resolutions. For example, cul-de-sacs of less than a specified length are not supplied.

• Simplification of geometry – Simplification can take several forms in OS Open Roads. Examples include reducing the number of vertices that represent a curve and representing a roundabout below a certain size with a RoadNode that is specifically attributed as a roundabout.

Coordinate reference system

The Geography Markup Language (GML), shapefile, and GeoPackage product formats enable the use of the British National Grid (BNG) coordinate reference system. In the GML data, this is represented by reference to its entry in the EPSG registry, as: http://www.opengis.net/def/crs/EPSG/0/27700.

The BNG spatial reference system uses the OSGB36 geodetic datum and a single Transverse Mercator projection for the whole of Great Britain. Positions on this projection are described using easting and northing coordinates in units of metres. The BNG is a horizontal spatial reference system only; it does not include a vertical (height) reference system.

The vector tiles format is in the Web Mercator (EPSG:3857) projection. This is a global coordinate reference system.

Currency

OS Open Roads is derived from Ordnance Survey large-scale data and is refreshed every six months.

Completeness

Quality control procedures are undertaken at all stages of production to ensure that the data is accurate, complete, and conforms to the specification. Quality control checks include automated data testing against the product specification and visual checks by operators.

Precision

OS Open Roads features are published with geometry given to a precision of two decimal places.