diff --git a/map_model/src/pathfind/node_map.rs b/map_model/src/pathfind/node_map.rs
index d27a15c0d8..47a1fef792 100644
--- a/map_model/src/pathfind/node_map.rs
+++ b/map_model/src/pathfind/node_map.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ impl<T: Copy + Ord + Serialize> NodeMap<T> {
         self.node_to_id[&node]
     }
 
+    pub fn maybe_get(&self, node: T) -> Option<NodeId> {
+        self.node_to_id.get(&node).cloned()
+    }
+
     pub fn translate(&self, path: &ShortestPath) -> Vec<T> {
         path.get_nodes()
             .iter()
diff --git a/map_model/src/pathfind/walking.rs b/map_model/src/pathfind/walking.rs
index fbfa78970e..8be420adf4 100644
--- a/map_model/src/pathfind/walking.rs
+++ b/map_model/src/pathfind/walking.rs
@@ -117,8 +117,8 @@ impl SidewalkPathfinder {
             .borrow_mut();
         let raw_path = calc.calc_path(
             &self.graph,
-            self.nodes.get(lane_to_node(req.start.lane(), map)),
-            self.nodes.get(lane_to_node(req.end.lane(), map)),
+            self.nodes.maybe_get(lane_to_node(req.start.lane(), map))?,
+            self.nodes.maybe_get(lane_to_node(req.end.lane(), map))?,
         )?;
         let path = self.nodes.translate(&raw_path);
 
@@ -179,10 +179,13 @@ impl SidewalkPathfinder {
         start: Position,
         end: Position,
     ) -> Option<(BusStopID, BusStopID, BusRouteID)> {
+        // TODO maybe_get is a temporaryish hack -- some sidewalks are actually totally
+        // disconnected, so there's no node for them. Just fail the pathfinding. Really this is a
+        // bug in turn creation though.
         let raw_path = fast_paths::calc_path(
             &self.graph,
-            self.nodes.get(lane_to_node(start.lane(), map)),
-            self.nodes.get(lane_to_node(end.lane(), map)),
+            self.nodes.maybe_get(lane_to_node(start.lane(), map))?,
+            self.nodes.maybe_get(lane_to_node(end.lane(), map))?,
         )?;
 
         let mut nodes = self.nodes.translate(&raw_path);