BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
A technology company is proposing a solution to better direct county road maintenance.
Roadway Management Technologies regional consultant Aaron Rimes said real time data collection of pavement performance and deterioration modeling can be used help manage the county’s roadways.
Rimes said proprietary hardware mounted underneath the county’s fleet vehicles would collect data, allowing an objective view of what areas in the roadway network need to be targeted for maintenance.
Rimes said the company first began meeting with Public Works Director Jason Dodds a few months ago, and he presented to the county commission last week.
With more data than a visual inspection provides, Rimes said Dodds would be able to make more informed decisions when recommending priority road projects to the commission.
Passive data collection on pavement conditions takes place as county vehicles are driven throughout the normal workday. In addition to a camera capturing imagery, the system registers vibrational feedback that is unique to different types of deterioration.
Information is uploaded at the end of the day to the pavement management system, and artificial intelligence software takes the data from the variety of sensors to render a picture of the best and worst roads in the county. Public works can see where the county needs to spend its money to get the “best bang for your buck,” Rimes said.
Over time, public works would be able to see which roads are deteriorating more or less quickly than expected, and which types of paving solutions are performing best in which area. It can make recommendations about what solution would work best on a road and provide an estimated cost. It can also provide an expected return for each project. Rimes said the county would move from a “worst first” approach to a proactive road maintenance program in which funds are more efficiently allocated. Having the data-backed applications could also help the county pursue grant funding.
There is an annual cost to the county to bring such an advanced system to the county. Rimes said they initially quoted Dodds a price of $90,000 a year with a four-year commitment. Further discussion about the county’s needs reduced that to $50,000 a year.
Rimes said the company was founded in 2017 and went to market in 2019. It has grown exponentially from two to 16 states, and they are looking to add eight more. They work with a handful of cities in Florida, including Dunedin, Winter Haven and Delray Beach. Bradford could be the first county signed, although they are also talking to Escambia and Leon counties, Rimes said.
Commissioners heard the presentation and asked questions, ultimately directing staff to continue discussions. Dodds expressed confidence in what he has seen so far, and County Manager Scott Kornegay said long-term savings could help recoup the county’s investment in the program if it does move forward with Roadway Management Technologies.
