Year 12 Geography students of Stuartholme School in Toowong might have a solution for the traffic congestion in Brisbane.
The students have surveyed parent drivers and mapped pick up congestion hot spots around Lambert Rd. in Indooroopilly using technology. This project is part of Esri Australia’s $100 million GIS for Schools program that provides educators in the nation with free access to their ArcGIS software.
According to the students who have tried it, the results that they have accumulated from the survey have helped them interpret data from the traffic sites better. Their results also showed that traffic is worse from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., which corresponds to peak school pick-up times.
With clearer data using GIS, they were able to identify patterns and come up with several solutions such as staggered pick-up times for schools and a foot bridge over Lambert Rd. They also want to share their findings with the Brisbane City Council.
The GIS (Geographic Information System) program is designed to promote a deeper learning experience around spatial sciences by providing access to different ready-to-go projects, which have been developed to link with the curriculum of the school. It was launched early this year. Since its launch, over 240 schools all over the nation have requested for a free ArcGIS Online Account. This technology is being used for learning Science, Mathematics, History, Geography, and more.