Hi,

Thanks for getting back so quickly. Just by looking at the map (I don't drive around here very often), I could see an argument for the road being trunk between the Meadowbrook and the Bethpage, since it potentially could offer a good connecting route between a number of motorways.

What I'm really trying to go after is roads that break this rule of the classification guidance:

The set of roads tagged highway=motorway or highway=trunk should collectively form a coherent network of interconnected roads, without dangling spurs or "islands" of disconnected roads.

So in this case, the western end of any potential trunk section should be the Meadowbrook, rather than the point where the road becomes divided. Generally speaking though, the "islands" (a trunk segment that never connects to a trunk or motorway) should basically always be avoided. A spur (a segment that begins at a trunk/motorway and never connects to another one) is sometimes justified (e.g. Nicolls Road, William Floyd Parkway), but they should be chosen carefully. In those two cases, there isn't really much farther to go before you hit the shore, so it makes sense.

I appreciate your work and your insights on the map, and I invite you to join the OSMUS Slack, so your voice can be heard in the community. We want to reach a consensus, rather than have people reverting each other's edits. If you decide to join, come join #local-newyorkstate and #highway-classification, where these topics are often discussed.

Thanks,
John