Advancing Performance and Safety in Georgia
At The Ray, we are converting roadways into powerful drivers of safety, practical solutions, and sound investment.By collaborating with public agencies and industry pioneers, we are moving beyond research to deploy technology in infrastructure, on the ground and in real time, to make our transportation systems more responsive, durable, and safe.
In 2025, our mission to reduce fatalities by modernizing America’s highways reached a new peak through two key initiatives: the strategic expansion of smart guardrails and the extension of high-performance asphalt onto city streets.
A Voice for Safety: The Pi-Lit® Impact Detection System
Safety hardware like guardrails, crash cushions, and cable barriers can only save lives if they are intact, yet maintaining these assets across thousands of miles is a massive, expensive operational challenge. To solve this, The Ray partnered with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to deploy the Pi-Lit® Impact Detection System, a network of smart, cellular-connected sensors on guardrails to provide automated, real-time alerts within 60 seconds of a vehicle impact that could damage or crumple the barrier. By providing maintenance crews with the exact location and time of "unreported" hits, this technology ensures that critical safety hardware is repaired immediately rather than waiting for the next manual inspection.
Following a successful one-year pilot, GDOT is expanding the PiLit system across corridors in Metro Atlanta, the North Georgia Mountains, and the Georgia Coast to investigate how smart guardrails can keep drivers safer on heavily congested or winding roads, and highways along ocean and marshland expanses. The Ray and PiLit are even helping GDOT assess debris on roadways after severe storms because crash barriers can detect when impacts are near or on the pavement. This affordable, responsive, and scalable network for smart asset management is a vital step in our work to ensure Georgia’s highways are not just passive paths, but actively safeguard drivers.
Pavement with Purpose: Scaling Rubber-Modified Asphalt
While sensing technology protects drivers on the road, our work with Recycled Rubber-Modified Asphalt (RMA) is redefining the road surface itself. In November 2025, we partnered with the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) to resurface Ellis Street in Downtown Atlanta—marking the first municipal application of RMA in the city.
"This project is a testament to the power of partnership and innovation in creating a more sustainable and resilient transportation system," said Allie Kelly, Executive Director of The Ray. "By integrating recycled rubber into our city's infrastructure, we are not only reducing waste but also improving the quality and longevity of our roads for all Atlantans."
Traditionally, road resurfacing decisions have prioritized cost and engineering standards over community equity, often leaving low-income neighborhoods in Atlanta disproportionately exposed to extreme heat and traffic-related pollution. High-traffic, low-shade corridors in these areas act as significant heat islands, absorbing solar radiation and contributing to elevated levels of fine particulate matter. By integrating heat mapping and air quality data into transportation planning, ATLDOT can move beyond traditional metrics to prioritize infrastructure investments that actively reduce these inequitable environmental burdens.
The Strategy of Regenerative Design
This project represents a significant shift toward a circular economy in city infrastructure. By collaborating with industry leader Liberty Tire Recycling, LLC, we upcycled roughly 500 scrap tires into 500 tons of high-performance asphalt mix for this high-traffic urban corridor.
While RMA provides a key tool for ecological resilience, our primary focus remains on infrastructure resilience. By using rubber as a high-performance binder, we are delivering a pavement that is:
More Durable: The added elasticity resists the cracking and rutting caused by heavy traffic and temperature swings.
Quiet and Smooth: RMA significantly reduces road noise, improving the quality of life for the surrounding urban community.
Building a Safer, More Resilient Future
Whether we are transforming guardrails into monitoring systems or turning waste tires into a 20-year road surface, The Ray is committed to stewardship and innovation. These projects with ATLDOT, GDOT, Pi-Lit®, and Liberty Tire prove that when we align with the right partners, we can build a transportation system that is safer, smarter, and a better investment of taxpayer dollars.
Let's drive the future, together.