One critical problem in Instituto Tepeyac - Campus Guadalajara is the car jams during the periods of pickups of the students. To approach this problem we are creating an App, “Stop Jamming” that would make pickups to occur quickly and this way the traffic congestion and flow could be improved.
The ideas
In our school we have a problem that is the malfunctioning of the roads inside and outside the circuit of the Tepeyac Institute, especially in the schedule of picking up the students.
We can analyze this problem from two perspectives:
1. In infrastructures: The Institute has two internal circuits, one is for preschool and primary levels and the other for secondary and high school; in the first, mobility is more fluid due to its structure, still problems occur at the time of departure and chaos is generated with the exit of the second circuit since both lead to the same street, a few meters away, so cars coming from both accumulate at the same time. The street is narrow and very busy as it is used by people who live there or workers from nearby companies. This street reaches another narrower street where urban trucks pass and is widely used by families of the Institution since it is a route to the areas where our students live, so at that point an important bottleneck is generated.
The second circuit is more conflictive since it has parking for all levels and its structure is not adequate since both the exit and the entrance are very problematic for the number of cars that enter and leave during rush hour. And as comented when traffic comes out of this circuit it joins with the first one's, so the problem is greater.
2. In behavior: The behavior of users who do not respect operating rules has been identified, to name a few cases: they park their cars in areas that hinder the function of the circuit, since parking spaces are not enough to park behind parked cars, hindering the mobility of these; sometimes people who pass through the circuit do not respect the signaling of the same because they do not wait for them to pass, there are users who get annoyed when the teachers on duty make an observation, some users hinder mobility by actions that only benefit their person.
To understand better this problem, we decided to create a survey, using Google, that we shared with students, teachers, parents and directives. There were two surveys, one with the purpose of knowing how often do people in the institution commit the disrespectful acts mentioned before, making them conscious about the impact of their actions. The second survey was made for knowing what do people consider wrong about each of the circuits to the school. The results of the first survey showed that a big part of the surveyed where conscious of their actions but that they didn’t know or considered it a problem; The second survey showed that people is mostly annoyed and blame the little space for parking and the fact that a lot of people park wherever they want.
We also interviewed the disciplinary training advisor. We asked if the school directives are conscious about this problem, what they think about it and how do they try to address it. He told us that school is very aware of this problem ant that they are concerned about it and try to make it better. They say that they are not happy with this situation but that they cannot do anything if students and parents don’t put of their part to fix the problem. He told us that he with the group of teachers in charge of the circuits try to treat this problem but that if students don’t present themselves whenever they are called to leave or if parents don’t respect parking spaces and the signaling in the circuits they cannot do much.
The initiatives
To improve the problem, we decided to design a mobile application (App) “Stop jamming” for the use of the Community.
It will function as a means of information, a means of communication, and a means for the circuit and parking lot to work orderly and fluently for the intended purpose. This App will have three approaches to complement its functionality:
1. Design a functional road system in circuit and in parking: it will be proposed with the existing structure, implementing some changes we will represent it by means of plans
2. Develop operating rules for the same system: An operating regulation will be prepared for circuit and parking users
3. Generate a culture of use for the users of the system: With the creation of the necessary signage to make users aware of the proper use of the circuit and parking of the Institution for the benefit of the community; with the creation of a dissemination campaign
Purpose of the mobile application (App): Students, teachers on duty, discipline personnel, entrance guard and parents will be synchronized with the departure time of their children, according to what corresponds to their level and group. In that way we can make the circuit fluid, both inside and outside it.
Operation of the mobile application (App): For the App to give results, some changes will have to be implemented in the departure time of educational levels, as well as in their groups. Similarly, some changes will have to take place in the use of parking lot. The App would be working in the following way:
1. When the parent leaves their home or is on the way to pick up their child, the App will be activated, it will in turn send a message to the student, teachers on duty, discipline personnel, entrance guard indicating that the student will be picked up at time and form. The student will indicate to the App and this in turn will send a message to the parent who is on the way that their child is ready in the waiting area to be picked up, in this way the parents will enter the circuit directly and will not have to wait in the parking lot.
2. If the parent arrives before the departure time that corresponds to his son, the App will inform him of the number of drawers available to be able to wait his turn, the App will notify him when he must enter the circuit.
3. If the parent is late for the student, they can indicate this situation through the App; and teachers on duty will place you in a waiting area with delay.
Conclusion: The implementation and use of the App Stop Jamming will give as a benefit that the mobilization at dismissal time is quick from the student's classroom to the circuit waiting area; in this way, the circuit and parking will work smoothly, avoiding the traffic jam of vehicles outside the Institution. This App once implemented and seeing how efficient it can be could be adapted and work for other schools with problems similar to ours, adapting it to their needs.
