ChrisBessert (2022-02-19 04:43:46+00:00): ZeLonewolf – I think you're working with some kind of idealistic view of a highway network. I don't think these types of networks really exist in all places... (most places?) Highways can, and do, actually toggle back and forth between classification values. If US-2/US-41 was a "true" freeway in this segment, which was the original plan but was never fully carried out and it only ended up being constructed to "expressway" ("limited-access") standards instead, then, by your standards, you couldn't tag this segment of freeway as a freeway (or "motorway" in OSM parlance). Isn't that just ludicrous? You'd be "forced" to tag a freeway as a primary road, two classification levels below it's actual classification level? How would that make any sense?

There are times where roadways do transition between classifications. It happens for a variety of reasons, even if we'd rather it not or even if it makes the map "look less tidy." As a map user or a motorist, I'd MUCH rather know what the actual type of road is that I'm traveling on than what some idealistic map editor wants the road to look like so that the overall map looks more... homogenous.

Road classification changes often bring many other changes, such as speed limit increases or decreases, differences in lane width, horizontal alignment, superelevation, highway capacity, design speed, safety, and level of service and a whole host of other potential differences can be expected. For Max, he could compare this segment of US-2/US-41 and Bayshore Drive between Gladstone and Rapid River: Are they the same type of highway? No. Are they classified the same way by transportation authorities? No. Are they classified and depicted the same way on other printed and digital/online maps? No. Do they carry the same types of traffic? No. Why should they be classified the same way by OSM? It makes no logical sense.

I guess I can only describe this desire to characterize an entire highway as one classification even if it wildly varies in *actual* classification in reality as some kind of.. artistic endeavor, to be honest. What other reason is there to use an incorrect classification just so it "looks nice" with other segments of the highway around it? In my mind a freeway is a freeway. An expressway is an expressway. A highway is a highway. A street is a street. A trail is a trail... Calling it something else doesn't actually MAKE it something else... it just fosters confusion and fuels mistrust in the source of incorrect information, and could even lead to injury or worse.

Why are we trying to FORCE a road to be consistent with roads around it when it isn't *actually* consistent with roads around it? Let's just classify the roads as they REALLY are! Using our own opinions as to what a road SHOULD be is very dangerous and leads to any number of different interpretations of what that "consistency" should be. Who is to say that my version of what's consistent is the same as yours is the same as Maxerickson's is the same as the next editor to come along... On the other hand, for each segment of this highway, there's only one thing it's ACTUALLY classified as in real life and it doesn't matter what any of us wishes it was. At this point, I could probably make a pretty good case to classify all of US-2 from Duluth to St. Ignace as "Secondary" if I wanted to compare it some of the highways in Metro Detroit or Chicagoland. See what I mean? Very subjective and open to all sorts of opinion and speculation.