SafeRoute

Your Trusted Guide to Safer Journeys

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Inspiration

Growing Concern for Urban Safety Toronto's increasing population density brings challenges related to safe commuting, especially in high-traffic or high-risk areas. Lack of Existing Safety-Focused Navigation Apps Current navigation tools often prioritize speed over safety, lacking personalized safety insights, especially for vulnerable commuters like pedestrians and cyclists. Improving Awareness of Safer Routes We wanted to provide users with not only navigation but also insights on route safety, encouraging smarter travel choices that promote awareness of safer pathways.

What it does

Safety-Optimized Route Planning It provides static route suggestions by estimating time, distance, and safety indicators for routes of interest to both pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. Interactive Map Provides navigation based on OpenStreetMap in Toronto, whereby one can see routes taken and the surrounding area on an accessible map. Community Reporting Enables the user to report things like hazardous conditions, using icons on the map for something such as a broken streetlight, to give added safety to the community. Real-time Safety Alerts Displays road traffic alerts, as well as criminal and construction areas along the route. Emergency Aid It comes with an included emergency button that serves for quick calls to services or for reaching out to family and friends. Help and Accessibility It also has a Help section, which includes FAQs, and there will be dark mode for comfort in different light conditions.

How we built it

We used React and JavaScript for the dynamic functionalities, while HTML, CSS, and Tailwind CSS powered clean and responsive designs. OpenStreetMap powered our interactive map that displays routes and safety alerts across Toronto. TypeScript and ESLint ensured quality code, while Vite powered up the development speed. JSON stores reports made by users, route data, and alerts efficiently and makes data access seamless. Finally, we hosted SafeRoute on Netlify to ensure reliable deployment; because of this, the application is accessible and efficient for the user.

Challenges we ran into

Optimizing map interactions for a smooth user experience proved challenging as we do not have access to free GPS API keys.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud to work on SafeRoute, an app that creates social impact by empowering users with informed travel decisions, making communities much safer. We create a collaborative environment where users are enabled to contribute to and shape local safety themselves through community reporting, real-time safety alerts, and accessible route planning.

What we learned

User-Centered Design The importance of prioritizing user needs to create effective, community-focused applications. Technology Integration Experience in integrating various technologies like OpenStreetMap and real-time alert systems, understanding the complexities of data management. Community Engagement Learned how technology can foster community involvement and enhance public safety.

What's next for SafeRoute

Next for SafeRoute, we aim to enhance the app by incorporating GPS functionality to provide real-time location tracking and improved route accuracy. Currently, we lack access to GPS API keys, which limits our ability to offer these features. However, if we secure grants or additional funding, we plan to implement this functionality, allowing users to receive live updates and personalized route suggestions based on their current location. Also, we plan to enhance Safety Features and Expand outreach efforts.

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