Automated roadway inspections

The Federal Highway Administration awarded the New York City Department of Transportation $4.41 million on March 5, 2026, under the Highway Research and Development Program (CFDA 20.200) to develop and deploy an Automated Roadway Inspections system.

The project uses Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and street view imagery to assess pavement condition and identify surface-level distress such as rutting and surface deformation. LIDAR captures three-dimensional pavement data, while street view imagery provides accessible, high-resolution assessment at distances suitable for reliable identification of distress. The scope was updated after dashcam imagery proved too difficult to capture consistently and aerial imagery lacked sufficient resolution for accurate surface-level distress detection.

Work is performed in New York, with a period of performance from March 5, 2026 through March 22, 2030. The obligated amount is $4.41 million.

Project description

The updated scope leverages light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and street view imagery, as dashcam and aerial imagery were insufficient for this use case. LIDAR is used to capture pavement distress such as rutting and surface deformation. Dashcam data proved too difficult to consistently capture, and aerial imagery lacked sufficient resolution to accurately identify surface-level distress. In contrast, street-view imagery is readily accessible and captured at resolutions and distances suitable for producing reliable assessment results.