Smart Parking.

The problem statement focused on addressing Bird’s parking challenges within the city. Our research, conducted across various locations in New York City, involved observing bike and parking infrastructure, studying user behavior, and identifying key issues. We discovered that users frequently encounter unpredictability in bike and parking availability, leading to significant time loss.

After several rounds of brainstorming, we developed the Smart Park solution, which includes two main components: a hybrid zone-based docking system (combining dockless functionality with low-infrastructure docking) and a loyalty program. This approach addresses the critical issue of bike redistribution by incentivizing user behavior. Ultimately, our solution ensures that users can reliably find both bikes and parking when needed. We looked into the financial aspect by comparing our proposed solution with the current system of employing street teams for bike redistribution. Our analysis led us to conclude that a hybrid docking system combined with user incentives presents a more scalable and cost-effective alternative. This solution strikes a balance between the needs of the city government, the convenience of users, and Bird’s operational efficiency.

Partner:

BIRD

Students:

Manasa Manjunath
Rucha Patel
Sheldon Zhao
Akanksha Mahanti

Professor:

John Payne