Laurel: To new technology. Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence and its impact on various industries. We know it can help write letters for offices and chat with customers on a website. It can help personalize marketing materials, automate manufacturing and protect information.
But it also can help in public works. Cheswick and Lower Burrell are contracting with Vialytics for software that will use AI to help assess road conditions to better respond to damage and maintenance needs.
Pennsylvania, with its rainy and wintry weather cycles, can be particularly prone to potholes. Heavily traveled areas can suffer from more problems. A simple annual rotation of paving and repairs might seem fair but might not be the most helpful or cost effective.
By using technology to analyze and prioritize needs, the municipalities can make sure the necessary work gets done in a timely and efficient manner. That’s best for the residents as well as those traveling through the communities.
Lance: To poor numbers. Once again, the Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville metro area is on the American Lung Association’s list of the worst places to breathe in the U.S. — the “State of the Air” report.
The region is ranked 16th worst for daily particle pollution and 12th worst for year-round particle pollution, according to the annual study.
The numbers don’t look at 2024 but rather analyze the 2021-23 air quality data. Is there reason to think the air quality today is any better? Maybe. The period in question would include the smoke from western and Canadian wildfires that blanketed many northern states. That also explains why all of the top 10 worst areas for short-term particle pollution are on the West Coast.
But with wildfires becoming a regular and more widespread problem with smoke affecting the whole country, it seems all the more important to address the pollution we can control when we can control it.