The city of Syracuse is filling more potholes than usual as it embarks on a more data-driven strategy to fixing crumbling streets.
"We have, since April, filled 3,260 potholes,” said Mayor Stephanie Miner.
She said what you can’t see during this process may be the most important: every time the DuroPatcher goes to work, a GPS-enabled device on the vehicle keeps track of where and when a pothole is filled.
“Before it was the count that humans kept, and I know -- especially for me -- there is such a thing as human error," Miner said. "But using this data and the GPS data, and looking at the way we dispatch DuroPatchers [trucks], has helped us fill a lot more potholes.”
Miner said the data also allows the city to better plan street repairs in the future, adding that if these strategies can lengthen the life of a street, it ultimately saves taxpayers money. The technologies are part of initiatives researched by the city’s Office of Innovation.
