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Like most cities that see snow, Boston has a great many potholes and not a lot of money to find and fix them. Luckily, it does have many civic-minded software developers who helped crowdsource an innovative solution to smoothing city streets.
We first told you about Street Bump last year. The smartphone app, initially developed by a team within the office of Mayor Tom Menino, uses a phone’s accelerometer to collect data on the location and severity of potholes. The information is analyzed and sent to public works crews, who prioritize repairs.
The app began testing and data gathering last year but had two problems: It couldn’t discern between a pothole and a manhole, and the mayor’s office didn’t have the time or manpower to address the problem.
