CINCINNATI — An area city is offering a $5,000 reward for the best innovative solution to tackle its growing pothole problem, following a winter that saw the city fill 42,900 potholes.
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Cincinnati has partnered with Flywheel Innovation Labs and Tire Discounters to launch a ‘Shark Tank’-style competition aimed at reimagining the current process for addressing potholes, our news partners at WCPO report.
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The initiative seeks to reduce wasted effort, alleviate budget strain, and improve public satisfaction.
“Let’s make this expensive and frustrating pothole problem go away,” Donna Zaring, Executive Director of the Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub, said.
The competition focuses on three key areas: data intelligence for identifying potholes, communication about which potholes are being fixed, and materials and methods to optimize the time and cost of repairs.
Currently, paving costs the city $600,000 per lane mile.
Mayor Aftab Pureval has emphasized the challenge of addressing a $400 million infrastructure maintenance gap, despite investments from the sale of the Cincinnati railroad.
The Innovation Lab program, which costs $40,000 to run, is seen as a worthwhile investment by city officials like councilmember Evan Nolan, who hopes it will yield solutions that save significant funds in the future.
Tire Discounters, contributing $10,000 to the program, has highlighted the safety issues caused by potholes, which can lead to tire damage and accidents, according to Crissy Niece, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.
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