TigerRide

Current Clemson apps are short-trip only. We use AWS Cognito for @clemson.edu security and Step Functions to automate long-distance rides, ensuring Tigers get home for breaks safely.

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Inspiration

Living on campus at Clemson can feel isolating without a car. My biggest hurdle has always been the trek home for breaks. While local rideshare apps work for a quick trip to downtown, they fail for long-distance travel.

Coordinating with friends works, but it became a constant scheduling nightmare; exam blocks never aligned, and someone was always stuck compromising their study time or leaving a day late. I realized that hundreds of other Tigers on the Snap-Chat story have the same problem.

This inspired Clemson Rideshare. We wanted to build a platform that moves beyond short-distance transit using AWS Cognito to ensure a safe environment and AWS Step Functions to automate the complex logistics of long-distance trip coordination. It’s about more than just a ride; it’s about making sure no student is stranded on campus because their schedule didn't perfectly match their inner circle's.

What it does

The key features of Clemson Rideshare are designed to provide a secure, automated, and specialized experience for long-distance student travel:

  1. Verified Student Ecosystem by integrating a Pre-SignUp Lambda trigger with AWS Cognito, the platform enforces a strict @clemson.edu email requirement. This creates a high-trust environment where every user is a verified member of the Clemson community.

  2. Long-Distance Trip Coordination Unlike typical local rideshare apps, this platform focuses on long distance trips such as during breaks or for away games. Drivers can post multi-seat routes to major hubs (like Charlotte, Atlanta, or Greenville), allowing students to search for rides by date, destination, and available capacity.

  3. Smart Payment Management (Stripe) The service uses Stripe to handle financial logistics. When a student requests a seat, a "payment hold" is placed to ensure funds are available. Once the driver accepts the request, the seat is confirmed, and the payment is secured until the ride concludes. A small convenience fee is taken by the platform.

  4. Interactive Route Mapping (Amazon Location Service) Using Amazon Location Service, the app provides precise route visualization and geocoded location searching. This allows students to coordinate specific pickup/drop-off points.

  5. Automated Ride Lifecycle (AWS Step Functions) Complex coordination—such as expiring unaccepted requests, updating seat counts, and managing ride status transitions—is handled by AWS Step Functions. This ensures that the ride moves from "Open" to "Completed" without manual oversight.

  6. Real-time Event Bridge & Messaging An event-driven architecture powered by AWS EventBridge triggers instant notifications and updates. Additionally, a dedicated ride-messaging system allows drivers and passengers to communicate details directly within the secure app.

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