We've discussed in class how traffic jams can lead to lot of loss in time and money. So what if we could use real-time data on congestion patterns to predict new departure times and routes for commuters and then make this available to all drivers on the road?
Last Monday, I went to visit PAG (Pima Association of Governments) found out about this really neat app they've been collaborating on called Metropia. Metropia is an app that commuters can download onto their phones and it works with the user's travel needs to provide departure times and routes that avoid traffic congestion. The concept is simple but revolutionary. It's one thing to get traffic alerts through your mobile news or google apps, but to have an app that calibrates traffic conditions and congestion patterns of your city right at your fingertips may be the very thing we need to eliminate traffic congestion. Metropia also rewards users with gift cards and a tree planting every 100lbs of CO2 saved by staying out of traffic. Personally I don't have a car, but I'd like to see how the roads transform if every driver in Tucson utilizes this app.
Presently it's only available for Tucson, AZ, New York, NY, and Austin, TX. We're pretty spoiled to be among the first to have something like this, but it is rapidly spreading to the largest cities in America.
More info here: http://www.metropia.com/driving-better-city
This application sounds super cool! I'm going to try it out! Maybe Los Angeles can be next since they are in need of major congestion control tools. This might just be a simple yet effective idea for anyone with a smart phone/android. Apparently the principle of triple convergence will only exacerbate peak-hour congestion and what people need is a fun tool to help them organize their day in a less stressful way!
ReplyDeleteEver since I learned about Metropia in my transportation class I have been intrigued if this is the way of the future. I think that this could work if employers were on board with changing work schedules to allow for people to come and go when it would be more coordinated. In Tucson I dont really experience much congestion as I just take back roads. I heard a story on NPR local and someone said the same thing. Either way though this is a different approach to getting people to change there behavior with rewards, and I will keep my eye on this emerging technology.
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