OS-CONNECT: Washington's Statewide Pedestrian Map Debut

Author: Taskar Center for Accessible Technology
Published: 18 Feb 2026 - Updated: 11 Sep 2026
Publication Type: Event

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This article covers OpenThePaths 2026, a two-day public event at the University of Washington on February 26-27 where community members, planners, transit leaders, advocates, and elected officials will convene to advance Washington State's first comprehensive statewide pedestrian infrastructure inventory - OS-CONNECT - a routable mapped dataset of sidewalks, street crossings, and curb ramps covering areas where 90% of Washington's population lives, making it directly relevant to people with disabilities, seniors, and anyone who walks, rolls, or relies on transit to reach jobs, healthcare, and daily destinations.*

At a Glance

• 1 - OS-CONNECT covers areas where 90 percent of Washington's population lives. This makes it the most comprehensive statewide pedestrian inventory in the country.
• 2 - OpenThePaths 2026 runs February 26-27 at the University of Washington. The Taskar Center for Accessible Technology hosts the two-day public event.
• 3 - The dataset was developed by TCAT with support from Gaussian Solutions and funding directed by the Washington State Legislature. Day 1 demonstrates immediate data use, while Day 2 addresses funding and long-term stewardship.
• 4 - The map lets local, regional, state, and federal partners evaluate access consistently and identify gaps transparently. This shifts planning from guessing where access needs improvement to clear prioritization of projects that genuinely help people.

Topic Definition

OS-CONNECT

OS-CONNECT is Washington State's first comprehensive, statewide pedestrian infrastructure inventory, built as a routable digital map of sidewalks, street crossings, and curb ramps across the areas where roughly nine in ten residents live. Developed by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology with support from Gaussian Solutions and funding directed by the state legislature, it gives agencies, advocates, and communities a single shared foundation for understanding how people who walk, roll, or rely on transit reach jobs, schools, health care, and other daily destinations. Rather than leaving planners to guess where access falls short, OS-CONNECT lets everyone view the pedestrian network together, so gaps can be identified transparently, investments can be prioritized on evidence, and progress toward accessible transportation can be measured over time.

Overview

Washington Launches First Statewide OS-CONNECT Pedestrian Map

Statewide pedestrian advances accountability and action for nondrivers at OpenThePaths, Feb 26-27.

Washington now has something no state has had before: a consistent, statewide routable mapped inventory of sidewalks, street crossings, and curb ramps. OS-CONNECT covers areas where 90% of Washington's population resides, making it the most comprehensive statewide pedestrian inventory in the country. The inventory, funded through a WA state legislative proviso, creates a shared foundation for understanding how nondrivers move through communities.

On February 26-27, community members, advocates, planners, technologists, transit leaders, and elected officials will gather at the University of Washington for OpenThePaths 2026, hosted by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology.

This represents a shift in how Washington approaches access for nondrivers.

A shared map changes the conversation from guessing where access needs improvement to clear prioritization and project planning. Next steps are to clarify roles and move improvements forward efficiently and measurably. OpenThePaths will be about sustaining the data, identifying priorities, accountability, and measurable progress.

The dataset, known as OS-CONNECT, was developed by TCAT with support from Gaussian Solutions and funding directed by the Washington State Legislature. It provides the first common foundation for understanding how nondrivers reach jobs, school, health care, transit, and everyday destinations across the state.

Because people can now see the system together, agencies and communities can finally work together. Local, regional, state, and federal partners will be at the table to explore how shared information allows Washington to evaluate access consistently, identify gaps transparently, make smarter investments, and improve freedom of movement for people who walk and roll.

• Day 1 shows how the data can be used immediately.
• Day 2 focuses on how institutions align responsibility, funding, and long-term stewardship.

"At its heart, this is about designing transportation around the fullness of human experience," said Anat Caspi, Director of the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology. "When we can see where access works and where it fails, collaboration becomes possible, and so does accountability."

"For a long time we've known we were missing information that would help us invest wisely. Now we can fix that. With a modest investment in maintaining this data, we can avoid building disconnected pieces and instead fund the projects that truly help people. The state has a unique responsibility here, and this gives us a way to spend transportation dollars far more effectively," said Representative Greg Nance, Washington State Legislature.

"My focus is building systems that give us meaningful metrics and then using those metrics to grow capacity, not just inside one agency, but across the region. That's how we move toward a transportation system that is genuinely accessible to everyone," said Taryn Farley, ADA and Universal Access Program Manager, King County Metro.

"The value here is that the complexity is being handled. If the information our teams are already collecting can flow into a shared pipeline, we can grow this dataset faster and make it useful for more people," said Matthew Weidner, Planner III, King County Metro Access (Paratransit) and Product Owner of Metro Flex.

Media highlights include sessions on Friday morning, February 27:

• 8:50 AM - From Data Use to System Change (Anat Caspi, Director Taskar Center for Accessible Technology).
• 9:05 AM - Keynote: Crunching Data, Hiding Power (Benjie De La Peña, Executive Director Shared Use Mobility Coalition).
• 9:45 AM - How Access Becomes Policy (Councilmember Claudia Balducci, Representative Greg Nance, Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck).
• 10:45 AM - Spotlight: Scale, Speed, and Sustainability (Paulo Nunes-Ueno, formerly Front and Centered, Kirk Hovenkotter, Executive Director, Transportation Choices Coalition).
• Anna Zivarts, Nondrivers Alliance will join the program later in the day.

The event is open to the public. Media are welcome to attend any session and request interviews with speakers and agency leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What does OS-CONNECT stand for and mean

OS-CONNECT refers to Washington State's statewide open-source pedestrian network dataset that maps walking infrastructure. It is designed to be routable, meaning it can generate accessible walking directions rather than only displaying static locations.

Who can use the OS-CONNECT dataset

Planners, transit agencies, advocates, technologists, and elected officials can use the dataset to plan and prioritize projects. Because it is a shared foundation, local, regional, state, and federal partners can all work from the same information.

Is the OpenThePaths 2026 event free to attend

Yes, the event is open to the public at the University of Washington. Media are also welcome to attend any session and may request interviews with speakers and agency leaders.

Why is a routable sidewalk map important for people with disabilities

A routable map accounts for curb ramps and crossings that determine whether a trip is actually possible for wheelchair users and others. This helps people plan safe journeys and helps agencies remove barriers that block independent travel.

How is OS-CONNECT funded

The inventory was funded through a Washington State legislative proviso that directed money toward building the dataset. Ongoing maintenance is expected to require a modest continued investment to keep the information current.

What is the difference between the two event days

Day 1 shows how the mapped data can be put to use immediately by communities and agencies. Day 2 focuses on how institutions align responsibility, funding, and long-term stewardship of the dataset.

Who is a nondriver in the context of this project

A nondriver is anyone who travels without driving a personal vehicle, including people who walk, roll, or rely on transit. This group includes many people with disabilities, seniors, young people, and those who cannot or choose not to drive.

What organization leads the OS-CONNECT work

The Taskar Center for Accessible Technology at the University of Washington leads the effort and hosts OpenThePaths 2026. It developed the dataset with technical support from Gaussian Solutions.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: Washington's OS-CONNECT dataset marks a genuinely meaningful turning point in how states can approach transportation equity - not as an abstract policy goal but as something that can now be measured, mapped, and acted on - and OpenThePaths 2026 arrives at exactly the right moment to turn that foundation into durable, accountable progress for the millions of nondrivers who depend on safe, connected infrastructure every day.*

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.