The goal of the app is to change travel behavior while reducing commuter anxiety during rush hour.
The app improves travel experience by offering commuters alternative routes on their journey home or to work during rush hour. By gamifying the daily rush hour commute, the app not only motivates people to walk before and after boarding, but it also reduces crowding in public transport by rerouting users to areas of the network that are less utilized.
On the start screen, users enter the name of their origin and destination. Once the journey is established, the app sets a radius of 400 meters (typical distance that people are willing to walk) around the point of origin. Three routes are then presented to the user. Each route carries a specific point reward that is based on the different combination of transport modes (e.g., walk, tram, bus) and the current usage of the public transit system. Routes that incentivize longer walks, and reroute users to less busy areas of the system (before and after boarding) are awarded more points. By having pedestrians walk to different public transport locations during rush hour, the app automatically helps to distribute pedestrians within the transit system while ensuring that they get to their destination. Once users complete their commute, their rewards points are saved and can be used towards a variety of discounts offered by SBB, ZVV and Swiss Post.
Build during HackZurich 2017.