by James Coulter
Tired of driving along potholes and worn-out roads? Don’t worry! The city might be investing in a “smart fleet” of vehicles that will survey road conditions to help them determine which roads require the most renovations.
At their workshop on Wed. Aug. 27, Lake Wales City Commissioners reviewed a piggyback agreement with Roadway Management Technologies (RMT) for a pavement management system.
City commissioners considered authorizing $26,431 for the implementation of this pavement management system, with plans to piggyback on the City of Dunedin consultant services.
Sarah Kirkland, Public Works Director, wrote that, through this agreement, the city would “conduct a pavement condition survey to assess the condition of the existing roadways within the Public Right-of-way.”
Josh Butler, RMT representative, explained that the proposed system, “would transform the city’s fleet of vehicles into a “smart fleet” capable of passively collecting roadway quality data.”
“The system would measure various aspects of road conditions, including vibrations, vehicle pitch and roll, and visual data from cameras,” he continued. “This information would then be used to create a digital twin model of the city’s road network, allowing for real-time monitoring of road performance and the effectiveness of pavement maintenance projects.”
Mayor Jack Hilligoss inquired whether or not the system would collect data in alleyways as well as major roads and streets. Butler answered that it could.
“While data collection would be more frequent on major roads, alleyways, and residential areas could still be monitored through less frequent but still valuable data points,” Butler said.
Commissioner Carol Gillespie asked if other companies offered similar services. Butler replied that their services offered cutting-edge technology that permitted for more accurate and reliable data collection.
“While traditional engineering surveys are still used, their technology provides continuous data tracking,” he said. “[Our] system monitors deterioration rates and helps identify roads that may not be suitable for certain treatments. This allows for more targeted and effective maintenance.”
