The recently-released RoadBotics U.S. City Roads Report took a close look at road conditions in 20 major metropolitan cities.
Luckily, our unique approach to data collection using a smartphone mounted to the windshield of a vehicle not only revealed the road conditions in those cities, but also captured local sites including city parks, historical landmarks, and even baseball stadiums.
Since spring is in the air, let’s take a look at five city parks spotted on RoadWay!
Millennium Park - Chicago, IL
You can’t visit Chicago without spending time in Millenium Park!
The nearly 25-acre park is home to Cloud Gate (a.k.a. The Bean), gardens, fountains, and Great Lawn. Pictured on RoadWay is a side view of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the 120-foot tall outdoor concert space and site of many film and music festivals during pre-pandemic times.
In the heart of Chicago, Millennium Park is a relaxing green space that millions visit each year.
What can we glean from the RoadBotics assessment on RoadWay? The four streets surrounding the park – Michigan Avenue, Monroe Drive, Columbus Drive, and Randolph Street – are in ‘Good’ condition with an average rating of 1.91!
Central Park - New York City, NY
Central Park in NYC is arguably the most famous in the world – at a minimum it is one of the most filmed locations!
The park is a sprawling 843 acres and contains an ice skating rink, castle, 58 miles of trails, and seven bodies of water. In 2002, scientists discovered a new centipede that is so unique, it warranted the creation of a new genus and species.
RoadBotics data collection of Central Park covered the 6.1-mile perimeter and transverse streets. Unfortunately, the trees and walls that line the transverse streets shroud the park from view, but the snapshot on RoadWay shows a beautiful fall scene of trees at the entrance of 65th Street Transverse – which has a ‘Good’ road condition rating of 1.62!
Bicentennial Mall State Park - Nashville, TN
Visiting Nashville’s Bicentennial Mall State Park is a great way to celebrate the history of the state.
One of Nashville’s most visited sites, the 11-acre park contains a 200-foot granite map of Tennessee, walking Pathway of History, Tennessee Amphitheater, World War II Memorial and Bell Carillon.
RoadBotics data collection captured a bit of the park of 6th Avenue North before a barricade restricted access to the rest. The roads that surround Bicentennial Mall State Park – Jefferson Street, 5th Avenue North, Harrison Street, and 8th Avenue North – are overall rated ‘Good’ with a score of 1.79!
Franklin Park - Columbus, OH
Franklin Park is a 100-acre park just east of downtown Columbus. It is home to the Franklin Park Conservatory with a botanical garden, children’s garden, and community garden. The beautiful park also contains a 1.2-mile walking trail, amphitheater, pond, playground, and conifer and ornamental grass collection.
RoadWay captured a trail entrance on the southern side of the park, which leads to a pond with waterfalls. The four roads that surround Franklin Park – Franklin Park West, East Broad Street, Franklin Park South, and Nelson Road – are ‘Good’ with an average rating of 1.98!
Gold Medal Park - Minneapolis, MN
At 7.5 acres, Gold Medal Park along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis is the smallest on this list – but that does not mean it lacks character!
The park’s spiraled walkway is meant to spark creativity and thoughtfulness in its visitors. It contains numerous sculptures, a mound with views of the city, and luminescent park benches.
RoadWay captured the iconic Gold Medal Park entrance and lovely fall foliage. The three roads assessed on the North, East, and South sides of the park – West River Parkway, 11th Avenue South, and South 2nd Street – are rated ‘Fair’ at 2.65.
Want to learn more about RoadBotics U.S. City Roads Report? See the report in its entirety. Read insight around the report from our CEO Ben Schmidt, Ph.D. Watch interviews with Infrastructure Leaders about what innovation they think has had the most impact.
