safeStreets

Are'nt we all scared to go to a new place alone? safeStreets is here for you. The app suggests safe routes to get to places. Sometimes it's better to take the longer route if it keeps you safe.

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Inspiration

I love spending time alone, but I’ll admit, sometimes navigating with maps can get a bit sketchy. I’m not afraid to take a longer route if it means I’ll get home safely. After all, why risk ruining our travel plans by going through sketchy areas? Since maps don’t yet account for "avoiding" certain routes, I took it into my own hands to write an algorithm that can avoid sketchy routes.

What it does

safeStreets helps you find the safest route to your destination by utilizing data from multiple APIs. It calculates the safest route based on recently reported crimes. All you need to do is enter your starting point and destination, and safeStreets will generate a secure route for you. Additionally, it suggests tourism itineraries for a smoother travel experience.

How I built it

I built the frontend using Angular, the backend with Flask, and used MongoDB Atlas for the database. For mapping, I integrated the Google Maps API, Gemini API, and the most important piece: the real-time crime data API.

Challenges I ran into

Finding a reliable crime data API was tricky. However, I discovered a website with the data embedded in its source code. I decided to scrape the data, and to my luck, it was real-time data updated every 24 hours! However, it only covers Los Angeles, so for now that's the scope of the project.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

This project pushed me to try a lot of new things under tight deadlines. Despite the challenges, I was able to accomplish most of my goals. I'm really proud of how everything turned out and of overcoming my fears to try things I hadn’t done before.

What I learned

The mentors were incredibly helpful, and I realized that asking for help can make tackling a problem much more enjoyable. Debugging with peers is such a joy! I also learned that there’s always more to study - always!

What's next for safeStreets

  1. Turn safeStreets into a mobile app for easier access!
  2. Improve the traveling-salesman problem.
  3. Add more detailed itineraries.
  4. Introduce real-time crime data alerts.
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