How it works

A route is not one line. It is a set of choices.

Safe Walk keeps Google Maps as the routing foundation, then adds civic data layers that help people understand the real-world conditions around each walking path.

Incident density

Reported assaults, robberies, break-and-enters, and other incidents are geocoded for calm map context.

Streetlight coverage

Streetlight records can be layered onto the map so partners can understand visibility conditions.

Route alternatives

Google Routes returns walking options that Safe Walk displays without assigning a numeric safety rating.

Community reports

The schema can support community reports as contextual overlays without turning them into a rating.

Routing flow

Fastest stays visible. Alternatives stay explainable.

Request routes

Safe Walk asks Google Routes for walking alternatives between the origin and destination.

Decode each path

Every polyline is decoded so the map can draw route options cleanly and fit the camera around them.

Remove duplicates

Overlapping paths are filtered so the demo shows meaningful alternatives instead of repeated lines.

Compare options

The API returns the fastest route and a distinct comparison route when one is available.

Fastest: 18 min

Alternate: 21 min

API shape

Designed to plug into existing maps.

POST /api/route
{
  "origin": "University of Toronto",
  "destination": "Union Station"
}

{
  "fastest": { "duration": "1040s" },
  "alternate": { "duration": "1210s" }
}