(COLORADO SPRINGS) — On Monday, April 22, the city of Colorado Springs unveiled a high-tech truck that roams the streets collecting data on road conditions.
The truck uses sensors and cameras to scan the pavement at various speeds, giving an accurate depiction of what the pavement and concrete conditions are like throughout the city. The city says this is a process that has been in place for nearly a decade and helps streamline decision-making and planning.
Prior to 2016, budget allocations for road improvements were based on accessors going out and physically observing the roads, which could take several years and slow decisions. By then, the roads had deteriorated and the data was not the most accurate.
“This activity here, with the speed at which we can collect data and the objective data it can provide us with, allows us to understand which roads are needed and which roads should be at the top of the list. It gives us a chance to really dial in.’” Part of the list,” said Corey Farkas, manager of operations and maintenance for the city.
Mayor Yemi Mobolade also spoke at Monday’s event, explaining how the trucks will help prioritize the city’s roads and the city’s ability to allocate 2C road improvement budgets. And while some neighbors may be frustrated by the lack of maintenance on their roads, Mayor Mobolade said the process, which leverages the data collected by the trucks, will help address the most urgent needs. Assured the community that the roads would be maintained first.
“People ask, ‘Are we going to pick winners and losers?’ Is the whole process rigged? Are neighborhoods being left behind? 2C Which roads are prioritized for road improvement work? Are we using a fair and transparent process to choose?’ These questions are fair and these questions are welcome,” Mayor Mobolade said. “There is a method to madness.”
Mobolade and city officials said the trucks will drive on all the city’s roads in 2024, collecting up-to-date data on road conditions and inspecting curbs, gutters, sidewalks and pedestrian ramps.
The city says such data collection efforts are typically done every three years, and the last time was in 2020.
