Team Name:
Hacks & Whys
Team Members:
Hacks & Whys
Hacks and Whys
Alyssa Libed, Joyanne Coca, Manjot Kaur, Manuel Martinez, Nannisa Pattaranansit, Pricila Yessayan (Team Leader)
Smart Mobility: Optimizing Urban Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future
Project Name Inspiration:
“ZEV” stands for Zero Emission Vehicle
“Vi” represents Victoria
“i" symbolizes Internet
The state of Victoria is committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, primarily targeting the transport sector. The push for sustainable transport includes goals like a significant shift to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), the addition of ZEVs to the public fleet, and promoting active transport like cycling and walking. Achieving these goals requires a more efficient public transport system, encouraging users to switch from private vehicles to public and active transport. However, the current public transport infrastructure is underutilized at certain hours, leading to unnecessary energy use and carbon emissions, particularly during off-peak times.
This project aims to optimize urban mobility by designing a smart transportation system that uses real-time data to detect passenger behaviour, manage public transport vehicles and reduce carbon emissions. The proposed system will focus on optimizing public transport stop times by dynamically adjusting services based on user demand (e.g. using PIR Scan to detect persons waiting at platforms), creating a ride-on-demand carsharing app “ZEVi” to allow people to travel from home to train station without driving their private cars, thereby improving energy efficiency and reducing operational waste. Furthermore, the integration of ETL (Extract Transform and Load) pipelines in public transport systems will enable the collection of historical travel patterns from smart ticketing systems and mobile app usage, using AI-driven analytical tool like Spark to draw insights and inform decision-making.
To reduce public transport’s carbon footprint through data-driven, efficient transport scheduling, reducing dependency to private vehicles, while promoting a shift towards more sustainable urban mobility in Victoria.
The primary challenge is reducing unnecessary energy consumption in the public transportation network. During off-peak hours, trains frequently stop at stations with no passengers waiting, leading to excess fuel consumption and increased emissions. By addressing this issue, we aim to improve the efficiency of the network while aligning with the Victorian Government's climate commitments.
Data sources were collected from various datasets, including:
Data from smart ticketing systems will be leveraged to identify real-time passenger demand. ETL processes will be implemented to aggregate and prepare this data for analysis, allowing us to track travel trends, particularly during low-usage hours. The ETL pipeline, built using Spark, will ensure fast processing of large datasets for real-time decision-making.
Using historical and real-time data from the train smart ticketing systems, PTV App and ZEVi App provides visualization tools that allow stakeholders to track stop efficiency, understand passenger demand patterns, and evaluate carbon savings. These visualizations can be tailored to show demographic insights, with filters for age, location, and income level. The app will also visualize the times when public transport vehicles are stopping unnecessarily, offering detailed breakdowns of energy wastage.
The strategic deployment of this system involves:
By continuously evaluating the system’s performance, recommendations for expanding public transport infrastructure will be made. The data analysis will also inform better urban planning and transport network expansions based on real-time trends, promoting a greener future for Victoria’s transport network.
ZEVi is a revolutionary carsharing app connecting private car owners within a 10 km radius of major train stations to use ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) instead of driving and parking their own cars at the station. The app has several practical benefits and aligns with urban sustainability goals.
Carsharing is growing in popularity worldwide, especially in urban areas where parking and congestion are major issues. There is already proven interest in carshare programs, especially for zero-emission vehicles, as people become more environmentally conscious and seek affordable alternatives to car ownership. Making ZEVs a publicly managed transport will increase the transition from private to public transport.
The technology for this type of app is already available, with real-time tracking, booking, and ride-sharing functionalities widely used in services like Uber, Lyft, and Zipcar. With existing app-based infrastructure, building a platform like ZEVi is achievable using current technology.
The focus of ZEVi aligns well with efforts by governments and city planners to reduce congestion around train stations and promote public transportation. Reducing the number of private cars parked at train stations will also alleviate parking shortages, which is a common issue.
Many commuters would prefer to avoid the hassle of driving and parking if they had reliable, affordable, and eco-friendly alternatives. ZEVi offers a service that fills a common gap in public transportation—the first/last-mile problem (getting from home to public transport nodes and back).
The project could easily gain support from local councils or governments in cities looking to meet their climate goals by reducing emissions from private car use. Encouraging the use of ZEVs and carsharing is an ideal way to promote greener travel, particularly if incentives such as subsidies, tax breaks, or designated carshare lanes are offered.
Go to Challenge | 26 teams have entered this challenge.
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