RoadVista and the Measure Across America Project

First published in Intertraffic Innovation News - May 4, 2020

Over the past year, RoadVista’s Laserlux G7-Color was used as the primary data collection tool for the Measure Across America Project (MAAP) administered by PPP Incorporated. MAAP is a not-for-profit project focused on promoting the improvement of pavement markings for both human and machine drivers.

The first of its kind, MAAP is a historic, comprehensive pavement marking assessment of over 8,800 kilometres, crossing the United States from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and back. The results are a collection of millions of data points on the primary characteristics that affect the safe operation of both human and machine-driven vehicles. This data helps traffic engineers, automotive engineers, and government agencies, better understand what makes a good quality road marking for both humans and automated vehicle sensors.

To accurately collect and study these characteristics, MAAP utilises the innovative technology of the RoadVista Laserlux G7-Color mobile retroreflectometer adapted to the advanced semi-autonomous Tesla Model X with enhanced auto pilot.

This project provided a comprehensive collection of over 79 million roadway marking scans of retroreflectivity and other visibility contributors such as the markings’ colour, contrast, QD, size, width, consistency, material types, pavement type and more. Additionally, this study included data representing the interactions and confidence levels between the markings and the vehicle’s automated systems, identifying where, when and why the most common navigation interruptions occur.