PennDOT Transforms Field Data Collection With Rugged Tablets And Mobile GIS

By Brian Albright, Field Technologies magazine

Pennsylvania’s DOT has reduced field inspection times by 65% with a new mobile data collection solution.

The country’s aging transportation infrastructure has received a lot of attention lately, with both states and the federal government launching projects to improve roadways and bridges. In order to effectively target these repair efforts, transportation agencies have to actually know just how many roads and bridges there are, and what condition they are in.

Pennsylvania launched its Mobile Local Roads and Bridges Data Collection System (mLRBCS) in 2010 in order to replace the existing paper process of field data collection. A database repository of small bridges and roadways that are maintained by counties and municipalities rather than the state is used to maintain the Municipal Liquid Fuels Program (a program that funds municipalities’ construction and maintenance projects). The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) secured funds from the Federal Highway Administration to overhaul the inventory system it uses to monitor the health of its infrastructure and prioritize repairs for local assets.