City: AI-driven approach slashed downtown potholes by 60 percent

Whether you approached Atlanta’s 2026 FIFA World Cup festivities by rideshare, bus, bike, scooter, or foot, you likely noticed that streets have gotten noticeably smoother. 

Whether those efforts created a “trophy-worthy downtown,” as Atlanta Department of Transportation officials are claiming, is up for debate, but the street fixes are set to be more widespread soon.  

According to ATLDOT, pre-World Cup pothole repairs and repaving have left roadways across downtown in their best shape in years, with potholes currently slashed by 60 percent compared to 2024. 

ATLDOT officials are crediting Cyvl, an AI-powered infrastructure intelligence platform for cities, with helping pinpoint issues and speed fixes. “Now Atlanta,” officials noted in Thursday announcement, “is bringing the same ground-truth approach to every neighborhood.”

For downtown, roadway improvements were borne from the city’s 2025 Downtown Pavement Program, which was guided by ATLDOT and the use of “continuously updated, objective road data” provided by Cyvl. 

As potholes were filled and other changes implemented over the past year, downtown’s pavement condition index climbed from “fair” (63.5) to “good” (75.3) on a 100-point scale, according to ATLDOT. 

City officials are hoping to build on that momentum with an expanded, citywide Cyvl partnership that will cover not just city streets but sidewalks, curb ramps, and street signs. 

Cyvl uses a combination of advanced imagery, LiDAr sensors, AI analysis, and a purpose-built platform to study urban streets. 

According to ATLDOT, that approach will allow the city to scan and analyze its entire road network—1,450 miles, or the equivalent of downtown Atlanta to Chicago and back—in a matter of days, rather than months, at a fraction of the traditional costs.  

ATLDOT’s goal is to obtain “the kind of continuously updated, objective insight that made the downtown turnaround possible,” per the announcement. "[We'll] be able to make more confident, data-backed decisions about where to invest, what to fix first, and how to get the most out of every infrastructure dollar.” 

According to ATLDOT officials, data from nearly 70 percent of Atlanta’s roadways has been collected to date. 

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Solomon Caviness, ATLDOT commissioner, said the approach will help keep a continuously updated overview of Atlanta’s full road network and “put the city in a stronger position to secure funding and serve residents,” per a statement. 

“Atlanta is exactly the kind of community Cyvl was built for,” added Daniel Pelaez, Cyvl’s CEO. “Public works teams across the country are managing billions of dollars in aging infrastructure with tightening budgets and data that’s years out of date. That puts good people in a bad position—reacting to failures instead of preventing them, and struggling to justify every budget decision to stakeholders who want answers, not estimates.” 

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