PedalPoint

PedalPoint is a mobile app that allows users to gain rewards for moving Belfast Bikes to bike docks that have insufficient supply, as calculated by our statistical modelling. Through our research of future programmes being run by Belfast City Council and the Department of Infrastructure, we saw that infrastructure plans are trending towards a more cycling focused City.

We identified three major inefficiencies within our current Bike Share Schemes (BSS), Belfast Bikes: There is often a lack of bikes at busy bike docks, current schemes incorrectly assume that the rebalancing of bike locations will happen automatically, and operator-based balancing (using vans to move bikes around the city) relies on fossil fuels.

To solve these issues, PedalPoint proposes the Gamification of User Based Rebalancing using circular economy financial incentives, meaning users will be rewarded with more Belfast Bike minutes to use if they participate in moving the bikes to docks that we have identified as low or empty.

The PedalPoint app features three distinct user modes: "Plan": When a user wants to go from Point A to Point B, the app suggests a slightly altered route (Point C) to drop a bike where it is needed, rewarding the user with extra ride minutes, "Explore": This mode encourages users to move bikes late at night, which helps eliminate operator costs entirely, and "Rescue": This mode targets abandoned bikes left outside of official docks by framing them as a "Bounty" on a live map, encouraging good behavior and system cleanup.

Belfast is an excellent choice for this project as it has a large population of students and young professionals, high levels of deprivation, and is cited as the most congested city in the UK by a 2026 TOMTOM study. Our system leverages existing infrastructure by pulling live JSON data from APIs (including station information, pricing, and vehicle status) and utilizing QR codes already existing on the bikes as unique identifiers. By incentivizing active travel, the project aims to stimulate economic growth, eliminate cars, and help realize a greener, walkable Belfast by 2036.

Built With

• amazon-web-services
• berylapi
• canva
• javascript
• jypiternotebook
• lambda
• mathematicalmodelling
• matplotlib
• openstreetmapapi
• python
• react
• s3
• stepfunction