Beyond Cycling: How Active Travel Data Can Improve Road Maintenance Decisions

Potholes and deteriorating road surfaces remain one of the most persistent challenges facing local highway authorities. With maintenance backlogs growing, teams need better ways to prioritise interventions.

The limits of reactive reporting

Traditional approaches rely heavily on public reports and periodic inspections. While essential, these methods are often reactive and resource‑intensive.

Passive sensing as a complement

See.Sense technology detects changes in road surface quality by analysing vibration during real‑world journeys. Deployed at scale, this helps identify potholes, surface deterioration and ride comfort issues across entire networks.

One dataset, multiple teams

Active travel data does not need to sit in a silo. When shared across active travel and highways teams, it can reduce duplication, support preventative maintenance and maximise the value of existing data collection.

Supporting safer streets

Poor road surfaces undermine safety and active travel investment. Earlier identification supports timely intervention and better outcomes for all road users.