URide

URide helps UR students easily find trusted ride matches, save money, and avoid solo fares. A simple, verified way to share rides, cut costs, and get where you need to go.

Comment

Inspiration

Rideshares are expensive, public transportation is limited, and finding someone to split a ride with is almost impossible. Every solution right now depends on scattered group chats, last-minute messages, and luck. We wanted to build something that actually saves students money, reduces stress, and helps the campus feel more connected.

What it does

URide is the essential tool for any UR student who is tired of paying for solo rides. It centralizes the entire process by showing who is going to the same destination at the same time and by verifying every user with a UR ID. Students can instantly find trusted matches, view how much they will save, and coordinate rides without the usual back and forth. URide makes it easy to match a ride, catch the destination, and move on with the day.

How we built it

We created an MVP focused on the user experience. Students can input their destination, time, and preferences, and the system automatically displays potential matches. We structured our components around clean user flows, match filtering logic, and simple screens that are ready for testing. Our survey shaped our early design decisions by telling us what mattered most: affordability, safety, and convenience.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenges were figuring out how to make matching feel safe and how to simplify coordination. Students need to trust the person they ride with, so identity verification became a priority. We also had to rethink how to present matches in a way that feels natural and not overwhelming. Balancing simplicity with real functionality pushed us to refine our interface repeatedly.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud that this idea came directly from our own experiences. We realized we were not the only ones struggling with this, and the surveys we conducted confirmed that many students felt the same way. It feels meaningful to build a solution that truly reflects a shared need within our community.

What we learned

We learned that small choices in design have a huge impact on trust and comfort. Students care deeply about safety, clarity, and cost. We also learned that surveys and user feedback matter more than assumptions. Every feature became stronger once we grounded it in real student needs.

What's next for URide

Next, we plan to introduce advanced matching filters, strengthen built-in safety features, and support one-tap booking so students can request their rideshare without switching between multiple apps. We will also continue user testing across different class years to refine the experience based on real feedback. Our long-term goal is to develop a fully polished app that becomes the primary transportation tool for the entire UR community.

Built With

Share this project:

Updates