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By Morgan Riddell
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A vehicle equipped with road-scanning equipment was seen driving through Kansas City streets Thursday, showing off new technology that is helping municipalities across the country tackle roadway infrastructure.
Kansas City ranked 10th-worst for potholes in 2024. It’s created frustration among residents, who face costly repairs.
Now, AI and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technologies can be used to scan roads and score their condition to help identify problems before they become costly repairs for drivers.
How the technology works
A vehicle from the company Cyvl drove around downtown with a LiDAR system fitted on top. This equipment includes a GPS, laser scanners and imaging. The LiDAR system can fit on any vehicle.
“It provides a snapshot of their roadway, scores sidewalks, signage, and crosswalks,” CYVL CEO Daniel Pelaez said.
Pelaez said the technology helps city leaders determine which streets need fixing first.
“We find ways for them to optimize that paving budget essentially and then help them do more or less,” he said.
Pelaez says this is a growing technology that individual agencies and businesses have even started doing on their own.
“Maybe we are a partner that can help them achieve some of their initiatives for improving the roads, or maybe there’s another company that could do a similar thing,” he said.
This week, Cyvl entered a contract with a city in Indiana to conduct quarterly assessments. Just last year, the company tackled over a thousand miles of road assessment in Atlanta in an effort to help the city prepare for the World Cup.
Separate from Cyvl, in Utah, the same technology is used statewide to improve roadway safety.
“We work directly with government agencies or will sometimes work with their in-house civil engineering firm,” Pelaez said.
Currently, the company is doing a free assessment of 200 cities across the country. In January, Cyvl plans to provide a breakdown to city leaders of what was found.
This assessment included a four-block radius across Downtown Kansas City.
When implemented for real, the equipment is purchased and there is a cost associated with how often a municipality chooses to do the scans.
City leader tackling potholes
Kansas City leaders say no deal has been made with Cyvl, and they’re not aware of any conversations with the company. But Councilman Crispin Rea says he’s aware of the technology being used and is interested in finding new solutions to tackle local roads.
Councilman Rea is leading a charge to examine various companies and technologies that could prevent potholes before they form. He introduced the idea to other city leaders on Thursday in an effort to direct the city manager to look at all new technologies that exist.
“I think there are a number of possibilities. There’s new technology that utilizes AI, and there are drones. Many other cities are investing in these options,” Rhea said. “I don’t know what has worked and what hasn’t worked. That’s why we’re directing staff to go figure it out.”
Rea said he doesn’t know exactly what the future of identifying issues on the roads looks like, but says it’s time to use a proactive approach rather than a reactive one.
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