Team 1-D: Anna Dove-McFalls, Manjot Dhamrait, Mubashar Hussain, Jai Mistry
Montreal’s population is quickly aging with 65-year-olds and over representing 16.8% of the population. This proportion is growing rapidly with 17.9% of the population ranging from 50-59 years old in 2021 (Statistics Canada, 2023). As seniors age, they may experience declines in functional and cognitive abilities, which can make it difficult to navigate different modes of transportation. In fact, approximately 52% of seniors in Montreal do not drive and depend on loved ones or alternate modes of transportation to meet their daily needs including errands, healthcare access and social outings (Seniors’ mobility and transportation, 2008). As Montreal’s population ages, sustainable, reliable, and accessible transportation for this demographic is crucial in ensuring the independence, the quality of social life, as well as the access to groceries and healthcare of seniors.
In Montreal, there are various transportation services available to seniors, including public transportation, private options, and volunteer-based services. However, accessing these services is challenging due to a lack of visibility and awareness of all the available options. GoldenRide offers seniors a 24-hr phone line, website, and mobile app that compiles and provides the available transportation services all in one place, making it easier for them to find their best option. With GoldenRide, seniors can easily search for transportation services based on their location, preferred type of service, and other personal preferences, without having to navigate the complexities of multiple service providers and transportation modes. This solution is acceptable as it respects seniors' autonomy to choose and promotes the use of sustainable public and private transportation services. Moreover, GoldenRide is feasible as it simply streamlines the process of finding existing transportation services and can be easily updated as new services become available.
Some of the important unknowns underlying the proposed solution are:
Disclaimer: For the sake of this course, the entire proposed solution is in English, but for real life application, the service would be offered in French as well.