low cost p ave m e nt d at a co l l ec t io n
WE HAVE THE WORST ROADS IN <INSERT LOCATION>
Low cost pavement data collection for better decision making in small and rural communities BY COADY CAMERON TOTALPAVE Roads are a hot button issue. Whenever I explain my line of work to technical or non-technical folks I get the same response. Usually something along the lines of, “We have the absolute worst roads!” followed by a list of streets they think need attention right now, usually the street they live on or on their route to/from work. From Fredericton to Saint John, Ontario to British Columbia, or the United States to India -- no matter the size of the jurisdiction and no matter who you speak with we all apparently have the worst roads on the brink of crumbling into the abyss if loaded with just one more vehicle.
But we can’t all have the worst roads and sometimes the worst roads may not necessarily be those that the road authority should even be focused on. Herein lies one of the many challenges with modern infrastructure asset management. Municipal road managers must walk a veritable high wire every time they attempt to build out their annual paving and maintenance schedule; keeping a fine balance between competing interests of the public, council, and administration, all while maintaining an adequate level of service. This is only compounded by shrinking budgets in many cases and a limited construction season here in the Great White North. Continued on page 13... FALL 2019 | TRANSPORTATION TALK
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