El Paso, a town of 700,000, is currently experiencing growth and a rebirth of its city center. Sharing a border with the town of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, these sister cities make up one of the largest binational areas in the world at about 2.5 million people. With tens of thousands of people crossing the border daily on foot and in car, there is a lot that can be done to improve the efficiency of crossing the border and making public transportation better. A little known fact is that El Paso currently tops the United States in text messaging. 57% of cell phone subscribers, 18 and up, send and receive text messages.
Look at El Paso as a blank slate. This is truly a city where you can make a difference by taking many different approaches.
Just curious guys, what are some ways that we can encourage people to drop off their cars at the parking terminals and take advantage of BRT? With new terminals coming online in the next few years, the city needs to develop some way to get people to use the new buses.
I like the idea that the city is putting in motion, but I still have doubts on how many people will be willing to let go of their vehicles to take the buses.
To my fellow El Paso friends, I apologize for neglecting Diy City for a while, but let's get this started! Being a border town, I think there is a unique opportunity to brainstorm on creating some apps that will help border towns across the globe.
Maybe we could develop a system that tracks air quality alerts. Pollution is a big issue in El Paso and Juarez and if there is a way to track it, I think it could be put to good use for the citizens on both sides of the border.
Maybe a way to track crossing times that could be accessed through text message on border crossing times for all of the different bridges.
What else would you like to see developed?
If you can't get a hold of me on here, you can reach me at www.livingelpaso.com
Let's help El Paso help change the world!