Connecting People and Places
A two‑day convening focusing on nondrivers’ freedom to move around and how shared stewardship of statewide pedestrian and transit data is a requirement for more just, accessible mobility.
Register here for OpenThePaths 2026
Conference Summary
OpenThePaths 2026 brings together community advocates, agencies, DOTs, and transit providers to learn how to use and maintain OS‑CONNECT and allied statewide data. Over two days, participants explore real workflows for ADA compliance, Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, and accessibility scoring that can be done in minutes, not months. Technical and governance tracks on Day 1 dive into architectures, QA/QC, and policy frameworks, while Day 2 centers community‑agency collaboration and regional stewardship. The convening closes with a collaborative SCLIO proposal workshop so teams can turn insights into funded mobility justice projects.
Goals of the Conference
- Help agencies, transit providers, and community partners understand how to use OS‑CONNECT and related statewide datasets in concrete workflows (ADA, Vision Zero, Safe Routes To Schools, accessibility scoring, walksheds, and planning where to live).
- Show how different stewards – DOTs, local jurisdictions, transit operators, contractors, and community organizations – can maintain and contribute data in a decentralized, sustainable way.
- Co‑design governance models, responsibilities, and triggers for multi‑steward guardianship of pedestrian and access networks.
- Support regional partnerships in developing SCLIO‑ready projects that advance mobility justice and freedom of movement across Washington and beyond.
Quick Info and Registration
Agenda & Schedule Overview
Compact overview of each day. Track A (technical) and Track B (policy/governance, non‑technical) run in parallel on the afternoon of Day 1.
| Time | Session Type | Session Title | Location | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30–9:00 | Shared | Arrival and Registration | Zillow | Check‑in, light refreshments, and informal networking. |
| 9:00–9:30 | Shared | Opening Remarks: Connecting People and Places | Zillow | Welcome, overview of Washington statewide efforts, and the role of shared data guardianship. |
| 9:30–10:15 | Shared | Amos Miller Keynote: The Cost of Missing Data | Zillow | How navigation technology, pedestrian networks, and data quality shape independence for disabled travelers. |
| 10:15–10:30 | Break | Break | Zillow | Networking and transition. |
| 10:30–11:30 | Shared | Scenario Planning Clinic: From Months to Minutes | Zillow | Live clinic with Anat Caspi showing how statewide data accelerates rural and urban planning, access scoring, and transit integration. |
| 11:30–12:00 | Shared | Spotlight | Zillow | Paulo Nunes-Ueno- How do we increase the scale and speed with which we make change. In the current funding environment, how do we approach projects differently if our project development are to increase the scope, scale and speed of access and reach. On users and how they drive transparency, interoperability, and shared stewardship. |
| 12:00–1:15 | Shared | Lunch | Zillow | Informal birds‑of‑a‑feather tables by role and interest. |
| Track A – Technical Implementation & Transit Integration | “The Power in data — you can build with it.” | ||||
| 1:15–2:15 | Track A | A1. Statewide Workflows: WSDOT:OS‑CONNECT in Conveyal, Oregon Networks & Rural Schemas | Zillow | Technical briefing on statewide architectures, QA/QC, imagery, and integration patterns, including Entur’s data architecture. |
| 2:15–3:15 | Track A | A2. Statewide Network Architecture & Stewardship | Zillow | How WSDOT, ODOT, and partners define networks, manage imagery/LiDAR, evolve schemas, and support decentralized updates. |
| 3:15–3:30 | Break | Break | – | Short break between sessions. |
| 3:30–4:30 | Track A | A3. Using Statewide Data for Agency Workflows | Zillow | Case‑based examples for ADA compliance, Vision Zero, accessibility scoring, where‑to‑live tools, and SRTS walksheds. |
| 4:30–5:00 | Track A | A4. Roadmap Clinic: Aligning Internal Roadmaps with Statewide Data | Zillow | Agencies and vendors sketch how to embed statewide data into projects over the next 18–24 months. |
| Track B – Governance, Responsibilities & Roadmaps | “Why data matters — you can steward the ecosystem.” | ||||
| 1:15–2:15 | Track B | B1. Analytics and Walkshed Tools Lab | Bezos Seminar | Hands‑on lab with walksheds, accessibility scores, and scenario tools for Vision Zero, SRTS, and ADA planning. |
| 2:15–3:15 | Track B | B2. Governance Triggers – Why This Is Hard | Bezos Seminar | Nontechnical stewards and WSDOT explore triggers, silos, legacy systems, and breakdowns in governance. |
| 3:15–3:30 | Break | Break | – | Short break between sessions. |
| 3:30–4:15 | Track B | B3. Stewardship Responsibilities and Support Model by Stakeholder | Bezos Seminar | Working session to refine responsibilities for jurisdictions, DOTs, transit agencies, tribal partners, and disability organizations. |
| 4:15–5:00 | Track B | B4. From Convening to Implementation: Next 12‑Month Roadmap | Bezos Seminar | Final governance working session to shape a shared 12‑month action plan; may join with Track A’s roadmap clinic. |
| Time | Session Type | Session Title | Location | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:15 | Shared | Day 2 Welcome and Recap | Zillow Commons | Short recap of Day 1 and framing of Day 2’s stewardship and community focus. |
| 9:15–9:45 | Keynote | Working title: “Mobility Freedom & Data Stewardship in Practice: Community Trust & Governance” | Zillow Commons | Benjie De La Peña on how community trust shapes mobility systems and why governance must center lived experience. |
| 9:45–10:20 | Policy Plenary | Building Mobility Systems We Can Trust: Policy, Governance & Regional Coordination | Zillow Commons | Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Representative Greg Nance, moderated by Anna Zivarts, on equity outcomes and regional coordination. |
| 10:20–10:35 | Break | Break | – | Short break. |
| 10:35–11:15 | Plenary Panel | The Accessible Last Mile to Transit: Policy to Practice | Zillow Commons | Cross‑sector discussion with policy, transit, and community leaders on how policy becomes lived reality for non‑drivers. |
| 11:15–12:00 | Roundtable | Regional Coordination Beyond Crisis Moments | Zillow Commons | Moderated session on how coordination should work before major events and disruptions, not only when things break. |
| 12:00–1:15 | Shared | Lunch, Walkabouts & Office Hours | Zillow Commons | Mini guided walkabouts using AccessMap / AVIV ScoutRoute and optional office hours for agencies and community members. |
| 1:15–2:00 | Workshop 1 | Designing Community–Agency Workflows for Data Use & Maintenance | Zillow Commons | Mixed tables map how issues are reported, validated, and updated across community and agency roles. |
| 2:00–2:45 | Workshop 2 | From Coordination to Governance: Translating Needs Into Structures | Zillow Commons | Participants turn workflow insights into governance components, funding asks, and SCLIO‑ready narratives. |
| 3:00–4:30 | Writing Workshop | SCLIO Collaborative Proposal Workshop: “Write Your Mobility Justice Project” | Zillow Commons | Mixed teams draft SCLIO proposals based on workflows, governance structures, and maintenance ideas developed earlier. |
Full Session Descriptions
Day 1 – Thursday, February 26
Arrival and Registration (Day 1, 8:30–9:00)
Check‑in, light refreshments, and informal networking time for participants to meet across agencies, sectors, and communities.
Opening Remarks: Connecting People and Places (Day 1, 9:00–9:30)
Purpose
Set the convening context, introduce statewide efforts like OS‑CONNECT, and frame the conference as a shared guardianship effort rather than a single‑agency initiative.
Keynote: The Cost of Missing Data (Day 1, 9:30–10:15)
Purpose
Explore how navigation technology, pedestrian networks, and data quality shape independence and everyday travel choices for disabled travelers.
Scenario Planning Clinic: From Months to Minutes (Day 1, 10:30–11:30)
Purpose
Show how statewide datasets and tools can power rural and regional scenarios, residential center analyses, SDOT planning, and transit facility integration using ARCGIS tooling and TDEI.
What this session does
- Demonstrates that TDEI/OS‑CONNECT already works in real‑world scenarios.
- Shows that ADA compliance, Vision Zero, SRTS, access scores, and walksheds can be done rapidly.
- Illustrates decentralized stewardship as powerful because the underlying data is powerful.
- Lets technical and non‑technical audiences see the “magic” together before splitting into tracks.
- Brings King County Metro’s “boots on the ground” view of improving access around transit.
Plenary Discussion: Defining “Good Technical Stewardship” (Day 1, 11:30–12:00)
Facilitated discussion on what responsible technical stewardship looks like in practice: transparency in methods, strong documentation, interoperability, and alignment with community needs.
Lunch (Day 1, 12:00–1:15)
Informal birds‑of‑a‑feather tables organized by role, region, and interest area to seed afternoon collaboration.
Track A – Technical Implementation & Transit Integration (Afternoon)
A1. Statewide Architectures: OS‑CONNECT, Oregon Networks & Rural Schemas (Day 1, 1:15–2:15)
Purpose
Provide a technical briefing on statewide network architectures, QA/QC pipelines, imagery, and how to get, view, and integrate data with other systems, including an example from Entur’s data architecture in Europe.
What this session does
Shows that TDEI‑style data systems (OS‑CONNECT, Oregon networks, mobility data, and contractor contributions) already enable many desired agency workflows and demonstrates that decentralized stewardship is both possible and desirable.
A2. Statewide Network Architecture & Stewardship (Day 1, 2:15–3:15)
Purpose
Share strategies for network definitions, imagery/LiDAR, QA/QC, schema evolution, rural/urban segmentation, and decentralized updates that support local and regional planning.
What this session does
Helps technical stewards “see the goodness of the data” and imagine themselves as active stewards of statewide networks.
A3. Using Statewide Data for Agency Workflows (Day 1, 3:30–4:30)
Purpose
Present case‑based sessions on using statewide data for planning, QA reports, walksheds, and asset management in multiple domains.
What this session does
- Shows ADA compliance with TDEI/OS‑CONNECT (surfaces, slopes, crossings, curb ramps, missing segments).
- Demonstrates Vision Zero applications using statewide data for risk surfaces and conflict zones.
- Explores accessibility scoring and where‑to‑live tools for routing, scenario planning, and equity mapping.
- Highlights walksheds and Safe Routes to School examples with OR DOT, WSDOT, and local partners.
A4. Roadmap Clinic: Aligning Internal Roadmaps with Statewide Data (Day 1, 4:30–5:00)
Agencies and vendors sketch internal project roadmaps and identify where statewide data can be embedded over the next 18–24 months, potentially aligning with the governance roadmap in Track B.
Track B – Governance, Responsibilities & Roadmaps (Afternoon)
B1. Analytics and Walkshed Tools Lab (Day 1, 1:15–2:15)
Hands‑on session with walksheds, accessibility scores, and scenario planning tools for Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, and ADA planning, oriented toward planners and nontechnical stewards.
B2. Governance Triggers – Why This Is Hard (Day 1, 2:15–3:15)
Defines governance triggers, decision pathways, and notification practices for managing data sources and breakdowns, including what happens when there are silos, legacy institutional hurdles, and legacy technologies pushing away from good implementation.
B3. Stewardship Responsibilities and Support Model by Stakeholder (Day 1, 3:30–4:15)
Working session to refine the responsibilities matrix for jurisdictions, DOTs, transit agencies, tribal partners, and disability organizations, clarifying who holds which part of the ecosystem.
B4. From Convening to Implementation: Next 12‑Month Roadmap (Day 1, 4:15–5:00)
Final governance working session to translate Track B (and possibly Track A’s roadmap clinic) outcomes into a shared 12‑month action plan.
Day 2 – Friday, February 27
Day 2 Welcome and Recap (Day 2, 9:00–9:15)
Short recap of Day 1 technical highlights and framing of Day 2’s stewardship focus, reconnecting participants with the goals around community and governance.
Keynote: “Mobility Freedom & Data Stewardship in Practice: Community Trust & Governance” (Day 2, 9:15–9:45)
Examines how community trust shapes mobility systems, why governance must center lived experience, and how data stewardship supports mobility freedom.
Policy Plenary: Building Mobility Systems We Can Trust (Day 2, 9:45–10:20)
Policy conversation on how governance models shape equity outcomes, provide a region‑wide perspective, and highlight where cities, counties, and state agencies need to coordinate on mobility and data.
The Accessible Last Mile to Transit: Policy to Practice (Day 2, 10:35–11:15)
Purpose
Cross‑sector discussion on how policy shapes lived experiences, how data quality affects non‑drivers and small businesses, and how accessibility, transit, and infrastructure data interact to define the last mile.
Regional Coordination Beyond Crisis Moments (Day 2, 11:15–12:00)
Discussion exploring how agencies currently respond to data issues versus how they should coordinate before FIFA‑scale events, large disruptions, and regional changes; how to unify Vision Zero efforts, coordinate multimodal and accessible transit expansions, and build trust structures across agencies and communities.
Lunch, Walkabouts & Office Hours (Day 2, 12:00–1:15)
Lunch with mini guided walkabouts using AccessMap / AVIV ScoutRoute and optional office hours for agencies and community members to explore tools, ask questions, and deepen collaboration.
Workshop 1: Designing Community–Agency Workflows for Data Use & Maintenance (Day 2, 1:15–2:00)
Mixed tables of community, agency, and technical participants map how breakdowns are reported, validated, and updated, showing how communities help maintain data by using it and defining shared responsibilities across institutions.
Workshop 2: From Coordination to Governance – Translating Needs Into Structures (Day 2, 2:00–2:45)
Participants take outputs from the roundtable and Workshop 1 and convert them into explicit governance components (triggers, notifications, escalation pathways, community participation windows, and regional coordination moments), along with SCLIO‑ready narratives and funding asks.
SCLIO Collaborative Proposal Workshop: “Write Your Mobility Justice Project” (Day 2, 3:00–4:30)
Mixed teams draft SCLIO proposals based on workflows, governance structures, and maintenance ideas developed earlier, converting conference insights into fundable mobility justice projects and cementing new partnerships between agencies and community groups.
Venue & Accessibility
Venue:
Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering, Zillow Commons (4th floor)
University of Washington, 3800 E Stevens Way NE, Seattle, WA 98195
Getting there:
The venue is served by multiple bus and light rail connections. We encourage attendees to use public and active transportation where possible. An AccessMap view of the area and detailed last‑mile guidance will be provided closer to the event.
Accessibility:
The building is wheelchair accessible, with elevators serving all floors. We aim to provide captioning for all plenaries and hybrid sessions. Please indicate any specific access needs on the registration form so we can plan appropriately.
Parking:
Accessible and general parking information, including campus permit requirements and PayByPhone options, will be linked from the main conference page once finalized.
Food & Remote Participation
Food & refreshments: Catering will include vegetarian, vegan, gluten‑free, and dairy‑free options where possible. Menu and food details will be posted here: Food & catering details for in‑person attendees.
Remote participation: Select plenaries and workshops will be available to remote attendees via Zoom. Access information will be shared with registered participants: Zoom / virtual participation link.
Values Statement
- Mobility justice: We see freedom of movement as a fundamental right, and we center disabled, low‑income, rural, and historically excluded communities in our design and governance decisions.
- Shared stewardship: No single institution owns this work. Jurisdictions, DOTs, transit agencies, contractors, researchers, and community organizations are all stewards of the data and its impacts.
- Transparency and accountability: We commit to clear data practices, accessible explanations, and governance structures that can be understood and shaped by the people they affect.
- Learning by doing: This convening prioritizes live examples, hands‑on clinics, and collaborative workshops so participants leave with skills, relationships, and concrete next steps.
- Care and inclusion: We strive to make OpenThePaths a welcoming space where participants can show up as themselves, ask hard questions, and build trusted relationships across roles and regions.