Time-Shifting the Morning School Rush

Universities often act like tiny little microcosms of cities, with their own unique populations, borders and urban forms. And, like most real cities, they also have their own traffic patterns. Rush hour exists even in the Ivy League and Ivory Tower, and just like people in any other city city, those stuck in a university's morning crush are not happy about their commute's congestion.

In an effort to cut down on the morning zoo, researchers at Stanford University have launched a study and program aimed at shifting traffic patterns by encouraging drivers to slightly alter when they arrive at campus. To entice people to change their arrival times, the researchers have turned the morning commute into something of a game. Dubbed Capri, or Congestion and Parking Relief Incentives, the program awards points to enrolled drivers who arrive either before or after the 9 a.m.-to-10 a.m. and 4 p.m.-to-5 p.m. rush hours. Participants' arrival times are tracked through RFID tags and drivers are entered in a raffle that awards random cash prizes. The jackpot? A high of $50 and a low of $2. Not much, sure, but the researchers have found that even meager rewards – and the even more meager chance of actually winning those rewards – can have a significant effect on people's behaviors.