RoadBotics’s online road assessment viewing platform, RoadWay, is used by 250+ communities around the world.
While RoadWay’s primary function is to display the results of your RoadBotics road assessment, our creative clients have come up with some unique ways they’re using RoadWay.
This Unique Use Case addresses increasing transparency with citizens.
Every five years, Mt. Oliver Borough, Pennsylvania, develops a comprehensive pavement plan. Road assessments are a vital part of the plan development process because the data collected is used to inform decision-making.
In prior years, Mt. Oliver completed assessments manually with paper and pen. Recognizing the need for objective, point-level data, Rick Hopkinson, Borough Manager, brought on RoadBotics to complete an automated road assessment for their 2020 plan.
Mr. Hopkinson shared the news about the RoadBotics assessment in their community newsletter, The Center. The article explained the process and benefits of utilizing RoadBotics for their upcoming pavement management plan. After reading the newsletter, one resident shared with him, “Mt. Oliver is moving into the 21st century [with Roadbotics].”
Outside the newsletter article, he also informed his citizens about the RoadWay results. As the folks who drive the roads daily and have a thorough understanding of where the issues are, they agreed with the data from the assessment. Through this sharing of information, Mr. Hopkinson cultivated buy-in from the Borough’s citizens.
“The [public] response was overwhelmingly positive,” said Mr. Hopkinson. “Residents commended the Borough for taking such a proactive approach to our paving and pavement management program.”
Mt. Oliver’s 2020 pavement management plan is nearly complete, and Mr. Hopkinson looks forward to sharing it with the community. “I think sharing the road assessment helps residents understand the ‘why’ behind our priorities and timelines,” he continues, “we are taking the time to understand the problems, acknowledging that their street is in poor condition, and that we’re developing a plan to fix it.”
Lastly, Mr. Hopkinson highlighted the Pittsburgh community spirit. “I think the fact the company was born out of [Carnegie Mellon University] CMU also gives it some prestige within the community,” he said.
Rick Hopkinson recognizes that transparency is a valuable tool for community engagement, making citizens feel appreciated and kept abreast of future plans. It is also a vital component of the decision making process for pavement planning.
RoadBotics commends Mr. Hopkinson, and other municipal managers, for being transparent with their citizens.
Have you used RoadWay’s assessment data to increase transparency with the public? Is there another unique situation you’ve used RoadWay for in the past? If so, we’d love to hear about it — reach out to your contact at RoadBotics or email info@roadbotics.com.
