Solving the most pressing transportation problems in 48 hours.
CarpooltoSchool recently participated in Fairfax County’s Mobility Hackathon. We joined the round tables of government and tech with our electrifying energy of startup grit to help solve issues around mobility, safety, and traffic congestion.
It’s no wonder Fairfax County it is one of the of the highest-ranking counties for traffic congestion, as it contributes to the matrix of vital commuter routes feeding in and out of mammoth Washington D.C.1
The Numbers: 1630 Buses. 186,000 Students. 195 Schools.
To be more precise, Fairfax County Public Schools have the 2nd largest school bus transportation in the US with 1,630 buses serving over 195 schools and 186,000 students. It’s second behind New York. 2 It’s no surprise that the morning pickup and drop-off at schools significantly contributes to morning traffic congestion.
We were challenged to take this traffic problem head on and create a solution that’s reduces congestion, increases safety, and is scalable.
The way a hackathon works is developers (the coders), user experience (UX) designers (the people who make using the app easy), researchers, data scientists (business analyst with a new name) get in a room with a big problem and are challenged to come up with a solution in a short period of time. Most of the time only one or two of the people on the team know each other or maybe none do.
We came ready with our developer, UX designer, a 2nd year MBA Intern as our researcher, and of course CarpooltoSchool’s CEO was the presenter. Because a great tech team also needs someone who will present the compelling solution they’ve designed. New to our team was the data scientist. She didn’t know any of us but heard our vision and immediately committed.
Teamed together for 48-hours we entered an intense time of team strategizing. We walked away with a key solution for solving traffic congestion for schools especially around long wait times in drop-off and pick-up lanes. It was the power of what a small, scrappy team focused on a clear vision for smoother traffic could do in 48 hours.
We received great feedback from county officials. With the insights we learned, now it’s time to build and test.
What ways has your school developed to reduce traffic? We’d love to hear more.
In the meantime, here are a few keys to reducing traffic on your school’s campus.
CarpooltoSchool is helping schools reduce traffic congestion using technology to create carpools. Parents are now empowered to create trusted communities to meet, communicate and coordinate carpools. See how we can help solve some of your school-commuting congestion on your campus.
Author: Kimberly Moore
CEO and Co-Founder. Go Together, Inc. Getting to and from school is more than just a ride. It’s about access to an education that can change a child’s future.
CarpooltoSchool is powered by Go Together and removes a transportation barrier to help schools and districts lean into more capital-efficient options that match trends they see – national school bus driver shortage, canceled bus routes, and more parents driving their children to school.
- By the numbers: Most congested types of roads in Northern Va. http://bit.ly/NoVATrafficStudy
- Ready to roll: Fast facts on Fairfax Co. school buses http://bit.ly/FFXBusFleet
