D. Sci class studies Escort Service

If two Wharton students have their way, students could reach their destinations faster. Inspired by the controversy over Escort's recent changes, Wharton juniors Lauren Franklin and Derek Jokelson proposed a new plan Wednesday that may cut down on wait time for vans. Franklin and Jokelson analyzed Escort's current system of receiving and distributing ride requests and concluded that an automated system would be the best way for the University to maximize its fleet of 13 vans. According to Franklin, Escort's current system is plagued by an overwhelming amount of paperwork. "When a person calls in, the operator writes it on a notecard," Franklin said. "On a night where 1,000 people call, that means there is a lot of paper flying around." "The operators couldn't write it down fast enough," said Jokelson, adding that some operators were writing 100 cards an hour. Franklin and Jokelson's presented their proposal in their Decision Sciences 210 class Wednseday morning. Their study on Escort was a project in the class, taught by Associate Decision Sciences Professor Gerald Hurst. "What we think they should do is computerize the dispatching," Franklin said. "Then they can have records, archives, and they can analyze it later. They'd be able to handle infinitely more calls." According to the proposed system, an operator would enter a rider's location and the caller's time into a computer. Using that information, a dispatcher would be able to keep a precise count of the number of riders in a van, and thus be able to keep the van full and cut down on waiting times. Currently, Franklin said, the notecard system does not allow for an accurate count of people who are in a particular van. The pair said another possible step would be to install two-way terminals in the vans that are similar to ones now in some taxicabs. "When the cab driver wants to pick someone up he presses a button and the dispatcher automatically knows, " said Jokelson. "We want the same type of terminal in the escort van." Transportation Director Ron Ward said yesterday that he was open to the students' proposals. "There was some talk about it last year," Ward said. "It was an idea whose time had not come yet. Now the volume has reached a point where we might need it." Escort has seen its ridership increase by 35 percent since last year, Ward said. On some nights, the system handles over 1,200 passengers, he added. Franklin said that she has not yet analyzed the cost of the proposal. She did note, however, that Escort has recently spent approximately $10,000 to install a PENNcard reader at Gimbel Gymnasium. The reader allows students to stay inside while waiting for an Escort van. Franklin and Jokelson are both Daily Pennsylvanian staff members.