BACKGROUND

Users of active transportation are facing an increasing disparity in traffic-related incidents. Particularly, underserved and low-income communities, including tribal historically redlined areas, bear an even greater burden. However, the implementation of data-driven safety, equity, and planning tools is hindered by the lack of high-quality inventories for bicycle and pedestrian facilities and treatments.

There are data management and organizational challenges to maintaining statewide inventories for active transportation treatments. High-quality, contiguous active transportation networks cross many jurisdictional boundaries. Data federated from local authorities are highly variable and often incomplete. Auditing and mapping pedestrian and bicycle treatments are crucial tasks within a geographic information systems framework. There are also emerging geographic data sources (e.g., crowdsourced and remotely sensed data), which can introduce new challenges and opportunities. 

Research is needed for developing a spatial framework for working across jurisdictional boundaries and data sources to digitize, maintain, and share active transportation-related assets while minimizing costs and risks associated with poorly governed data.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a guide that will assist state departments of transportation (DOTs) and local agencies in digitizing bike and pedestrian treatments and provide examples of how organizations have used digitized data to better fulfill their safety and equity goals. 

At a minimum the study shall (1) examine existing best practices; (2) explore the potential and benefits of using emerging geographic data sources; and (3) develop a standardized framework for data collection, maintenance, and sharing of the active transportation facilities and treatment inventory data.

Status: Work has been initiated. The first interim report is expected in June 2025.