ATLANTA — Drivers are about to get some help reporting potholes.
The Atlanta Department of Transportation is exploring a partnership with Waymo and Waze.
The tech companies announced plans last week turn over pothole data for free.
“Well, there are so many potholes, there are so many of them,” Natalie Uzuee told Channel 2’s Michael Doudna.
Arielle Fleisher, Waymo Policy development and research manager, said they have figured out a way to track them by partnering with Waze, which works with 2,000 cities in the U.S.
While Waymo may not have a driver in the front seat, it does have a lot of data, especially on the ground level. They are hoping to use that data, identify potholes, and let the city know when there is an issue.
“This is what we call unintended consequences of technology, right?” said Ramnath Chellappa, Emory professor.
Chellappa says the technology could revolutionize how cities find potholes.
“What we are observing is an automatic high-resolution, high-fidelity information that is being sent on a dynamic level,” Chellappa said.
The two sides need to figure out how the systems can work together, coupling Waze and Waymo data with Atlanta’s 311 system, which helped fix nearly 10,000 potholes last year.
“We are not going to replace your 311. We’re not trying to. We want to be additive,” Fleisher said.
ATLDOT says they are exploring how they can make a partnership work to clear more potholes, leaving drivers and city leaders hopeful that a combination of tech and expertise leads to a smoother drive.
I’m always interested in partnering with folks who can help us do a better job of providing services,” said Atlanta city councilmember Matt Westmoreland.
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