City of Tomorrow Winner 2019- Pikmykid
Tampa, Florida (November 19, 2018) – Pikmykid’s Comprehensive School Dismissal Platform was named the winner in Ford’s City of Tomorrow Challenge. The Challenge aimed at crowdsourcing solutions from the community. Inputs were sought from residents, businesses and community groups to propose and pilot solutions that improve city mobility. As a result of this new collaboration with Ford, Microsoft, AT&T, Dell, Miami-Dade County, and the Knight Foundation, Pikmykid will begin implementation into select schools in 2019.
Out of thousands of requests from Miami-Dade residents and more than 130 different proposals, the Challenge’s Steering Committee selected us as one of their 15 finalists. After working tirelessly with mentors and industry leaders to refine our proposal for the $100,000, we were announced co-winners of the challenge with Soofa Sign.
The Pikmykid Solution
The second-largest contributor to rush hour congestion is school traffic around arrival and dismissal times at our schools. Miami had a population growth over 2069% in last 10 years. It makes sense why a city with a population of 5.5 million might be on the search for traffic solutions. Throughout the course of this City of Tomorrow Winner challenge, we dug deep to understand the mobility barriers. We sought solutions for a vibrant and diverse city like Miami.
For the first time, city planners will have the ability to influence end-user behavior via the Pikmykid app to mitigate and reduce peak traffic at schools. This saves the local government from spending millions in infrastructure projects around schools to handle dismissal.
“It’s no secret that public transportation is facing the greatest transformational moment of our generation. We are facing serious challenges that need to be addressed right now.” Alice Bravo Director of Miami-Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public works said. “We need new solutions that make it simple for residents and visitors to understand their transportation options and know how to use them. I believe the winning proposals will do just that.”
Making Miami a City of Tomorrow is just the first step. We’re rapidly changing the way cities across the country think about their transportation needs using technology.
What’s Next?
Starting in 2019, City of Tomorrow Winner, Pikmykid will begin the implementation timeline for the first 8-10 schools. We are excited to support Miami-Dade County in its efforts toward the sustainable future of transportation. We are very confident other districts will take note of the innovation and creativity inspired by this challenge. Subsequently all cities will eventually expand their efforts towards this direction.
Follow us on our socials @Pikmykid to stay updated on more developments for this project!
