Pilot Program Success Story: Edina, Minnesota

Introduction:

In early 2025, the City of Edina, Minnesota, partnered with DeepWalk to pilot its iPhone LiDAR inspection software across 5 miles of sidewalk and curb ramps. Committed to improving accessibility for its community, Edina needed a faster, more efficient way to evaluate sidewalks and curb ramps. By using DeepWalk’s mobile and web applications, Edina quickly gathered detailed, actionable data to support both short-term priorities and long-term planning efforts.

Challenge:

Edina is working to increase the efficiency of sidewalk and curb ramp assessments. Traditional methods are slow, labor-intensive, and challenging to keep up to date. The Department of Engineering needed a streamlined solution to accelerate data collection, deliver actionable insights, and build a living dataset of the city’s sidewalk network.

Solution:

To pilot the project, Edina used DeepWalk’s mobile app to conduct sidewalk inspections, completing 5 miles in multiple locations over 3 days. The project required minimal setup. City staff were trained through a 30-minute, asynchronous data collection training and received scanning feedback from DeepWalk’s project managers before full deployment. As sidewalks are scanned, the app generates the 3d models used in DeepWalk’s automeasurement system to extract key accessibility measurements, analyze condition data, and assign access scores. The data becomes available in DeepWalk’s web application as it is processed.

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DeepWalk’s web application is designed to help teams plan, inspect, analyze, and implement sidewalk inspection projects and improvement programs. It provides detailed, panel-level measurements alongside a citywide overview, and it enables the team to stay proactive with prioritization tools, improvement program recommendations, and budgeting features. With accurate, actionable data on a shareable platform, teams can make informed decisions and move efficiently toward ADA compliance.

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“DeepWalk exponentially increased the speed at which we can identify compliant versus non-compliant pedestrian facilities. With very little training, our operator was able to scan at nearly a walking pace. This replaced a very slow, manual process of tape measures, levels, and clipboards to document existing conditions.” - Chad Millner, Director of Engineering

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Results:

Comprehensive Assessment of Pilot Locations

Edina, MN successfully completed a pilot assessment of 5 miles of sidewalk and 140 curb ramps, receiving a detailed snapshot of current accessibility conditions in the target areas. By piloting DeepWalk, Edina experienced the efficiency of the scanning software and its automated measurements. The city received precise measurements on key sidewalk metrics and access barriers, all with precise location data.

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Updatable and Dynamic Dataset

With DeepWalk’s web application, Edina now has a living dataset that can be updated as more sidewalk is inspected and infrastructure improvements are made. To update the map, staff simply rescan and upload using the mobile app, and DeepWalk processes the data, ensuring the city’s web app accurately reflects current sidewalk conditions.

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Implementation Tools

DeepWalk turns raw data into actionable programs, maps, and dashboards, giving Edina the ability to prioritize and address accessibility barriers. Using the implementation feature in the web app, the team can create targeted programs, like trip hazard removal, to bring their community to full compliance. These insights are easily shareable across departments and stakeholders, making it easier to align planning and compliance goals. These tools assist in the development of citywide sidewalk initiatives, sidewalk maintenance programs, and ADA transition plans.

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“After the initial set-up of the device and user account, we are easily able to identify and quantify areas of highest need for workflow and budgeting purposes. In past, we were doing this by spreadsheet after manual inspection, in only a small area of our city.” - Chad Millner, Director of Engineering