In collaboration with MaineDOT, the MIT City Form Lab is developing the first statewide pedestrian volume model for Maine. While Maine has long maintained vehicular traffic estimates to inform infrastructure and safety decisions, comparable pedestrian data has been lacking. This project will fill that gap by estimating daily foot traffic volumes for roads across the state’s 140 largest towns, which represent over 77% of Maine’s population.
Using advanced open-source tools like Urban Network Analysis framework in the Madina Python package, and Tile2Net—developed at the MIT City Form Lab—the model will integrate land use, demographic, transportation, and point-of-interest data, calibrated with camera-based pedestrian counts. In one pilot town—Portland—we also create a detailed pedestrian network map of sidewalks, crosswalks, and footpaths and estimate foot-traffic volumes on these pedestrian segments, rather than road centerlines.
The resulting model will support smarter infrastructure investment, enhanced pedestrian safety, and alignment with Maine’s goals for equitable, multimodal, and low-carbon transportation. A public-facing GIS dashboard will ensure that the insights are actionable for planners, engineers, and policymakers across the state.