Maryland Department of Transportation

Maryland Sidewalk Data Collaboration 

Marylanders complete an estimated 2.1 million walking trips each day.1 Despite the critical role sidewalks play in connecting Marylanders of all ages and abilities with transit, jobs, healthcare, and other destinations, very little data exists to describe the infrastructure that makes this possible. Without this data, it’s difficult to identify barriers to safe and comfortable walking and rolling.

To address this lack of data, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Environment and Sustainable Transportation Program founded the Maryland Sidewalk Data Collaboration. Since early 2023, the Maryland Sidewalk Data Collaboration has led collaboration between MDOT, partner agencies, and jurisdictions throughout the state to:

  • Evaluate the feasibility of a unified statewide sidewalk dataset.
  • Develop a schema appropriate for capturing sidewalks throughout Maryland.
  • Demonstrate the utility of sidewalk data along selected priority corridors.
  • Test the ability to add sidewalk data to the One Maryland One Centerline (OMOC) portal to be viewed alongside data for other transportation modes.

The development of comprehensive data on pedestrian infrastructure directly supports numerous goals and objectives identified by the 2050 Maryland Statewide Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan to support MDOT’s vision to provide safe and convenient active transportation that supports equitable access for all.

Click here to GET INVOLVED.

Sidewalk data can aid communities, assist in project prioritization and support funding/grant applications for the following programs:

  • ADA compliance & Accessibility Analysis
  • Regional and Community Planning
  • Complete Streets Initiatives
  • Context Driven Design
  • Maryland Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP)
  • Public Transit Accessibility
  • Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
  • Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
  • Transportation Alternatives (TA)
  • Vision Zero Planning
Image of a family crossing the street using a crosswalk.
Image of a man crossing the street behind an MTA bus.

The development of comprehensive data on pedestrian infrastructure directly supports numerous goals and objectives identified by the 2050 Maryland Statewide Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan to support MDOT’s vision to provide safe and convenient active transportation that supports equitable access for all.

The Maryland Sidewalk Data Collaboration invites jurisdictions to document pedestrian infrastructure using a streamlined, user-friendly interface. As of September 2024, all of Maryland’s 23 counties and 159 incorporated municipalities are invited to begin recording their sidewalks in the database!

If you’re new to One Maryland One Centerline, MDOT regularly hosts trainings to equip jurisdictions with the tools necessary to record their sidewalk infrastructure. To get started, email Francine Waters at fwaters@mdot.maryland.gov, sharing:

  • Agency/jurisdiction
  • Contact information for anyone else at your organization who will attend
  • Any existing sidewalk data you would like to reference
Image of children walking down the sidewalk toward bus.

1. Replica Mid-Atlantic, Fall 2023 Thursday Travel Model; to learn more about Replica’s methodology, refer to: https://documentation.replicahq.com/docs/.

Get Involved!

You can enter sidewalk data in your jurisdiction through the MDOT Local Government Information Coordination (LOGIC) Portal ENROLL TODAY TO BEGIN PARTICIPATING!

Maryland Sidewalk Data Jurisdiction Map

Click the map above to access the interactive map of participating jurisdictions.

Before you start...

Contact MDOT to set up an account and to access the Maryland Sidewalk Data Collaboration training library. Email fwaters@mdot.maryland.gov to get started!

Access the Sidewalk Event Editor

Navigate to the Sidewalk Event Editor. Log in with your approved credentials and allow permission for the Event Editor to access your ArGIS Enterprise account information.

Select a Road

Select a road to add the sidewalk. Use MDOT's aerial imagery in the app or turn on the layer containing your jurisdiction's reference data to determine where sidewalks should be entered.

Add Sidewalk Attributes

In the Add Linear Events window where you defined the sidewalk endpoints, follow the queues to add the following attributes.

  • Start Date - Today's Date
  • Sidewalk Type - Adjacent to Roadway, assuming the sidewalk is adjacent to the roadway
  • Side of Roadway - As if you are walking from the red X From Measure to the green X To Measure, which side of the route is the sidewalk(s)?
  • Sidewalk Collection Source - How you found the sidewalk
  • Sidewalk Collection Date - The date the sidewalk was found
  • Status - Whether the sidewalk is planned or currently

You are encouraged to add any other known attributes if you have them available.

More Resources

The Maryland Sidewalk Data Collaboration has materials that detail this process and provide personalized support to agencies and jurisdictions documenting pedestrian infrastructure. To learn more, please reach out to fwaters@mdot.maryland.gov.

Once you have an account, please follow and reference our step by step directions for data input.