Kansas City Turns to High-Tech Solution from Texas to Fix Pothole Menace
Kansas City, a bustling hub of the American Midwest, is placing its bets on an innovative solution to tackle its widespread pothole problem. The answer, it appears, might just be a van from Texas. This strategy, however, is not as simplistic as it seems. The van in question is a high-tech vehicle equipped with cameras, lasers, and GPS capabilities, a solution drawn from the cutting-edge field of practical technology applications.
Texas Van to Scan Kansas City Streets
The van, operated by Texas-based company Roadway Asset Services, will conduct a large-scale scanning operation across Kansas City over the next two months. The state-of-the-art equipment on board will document, record, and analyze every pothole, crack, and divot on the streets within the city limits.
When the operation is complete, the van’s technology will compile an exhaustive inventory of Kansas City’s road damage, from the most inconspicuous divots to the most hazardous potholes. This comprehensive data will then be handed over to the Kansas City Public Works Department. The goal is to help the department prioritize road repairs and also check if past repairs have been successful.
Standardization of Review and Auditing of Road Repairs
City officials are hopeful about the impact of this initiative. Kansas City’s aggressive approach to road repairs has been in the spotlight in recent years. Last fiscal year, the city set a record for the number of roads it resurfaced. With this cutting-edge solution, the city hopes to inject a higher level of standardization and consistency into the review and auditing process of road repair work.
To further this agenda, the city intends to conduct such street scans every two years, reducing the previous frequency of once every three years. While this move is projected to cost the city about $450,000, local drivers have expressed their support, citing the vast improvements smoother roads would bring to their daily commutes and travel experiences.
Incorporating High-Tech Equipment in City-Owned Vehicles
As part of its long-term plan, Kansas City is also exploring ways to integrate the same type of laser, camera, and GPS technology used by the Roadway Asset Services van into its own fleet of city-owned vehicles. By equipping trash trucks and other standard city vehicles with this technology, the city aims to take advantage of their regular navigation of city streets for routine upkeep and maintenance.
Simultaneously, public avenues to report potholes and road damage remain open for both the Department of Transportation and Kansas City. It’s a collective effort to maintain the roads in their best possible shape for the city residents to have a smoother driving experience. All in all, the consistent efforts to drive forward a more technologically-driven approach to resolving public issues by Kansas City is a sign of how progressive urban management can take shape.
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