App Improvement

If our idea for a new app is accepted, it would not only help people navigate our campuses and the surrounding Portland area, but could also help to reduce the amount of reliance and desire for personal vehicles. We believe that although the cost is high, the long-term benefits outweigh the initial cost; even if the cost is still a concern, we have and are making efforts to look into any way we can raise or earn the money needed for the initial funding. As of right now, we already have ideas about how the app might work and hopes for what the app might look like in the future. Now, it is just a matter of making those ideas a reality.   

We understand that the Lewis & Clark Undergraduate campus is currently in the process of balancing the budget. According to the head of the L&C transportation department, Joey Zayas, and the chair of the computer science department, Peter Drake, we estimate that the app we have proposed would likely cost a range of $50,000 to $100,000. We feel a new app is a worthwhile cost, but also know it is unlikely that the college itself will be able to fund the app at this moment. If our proposal is approved, we are pro either writing a grant or fundraising to raise the money. If we choose to get the funding need through grant writing, it would most likely be through one larger grant, rather than supported by a series of smaller grants. One possibility we have looked into is the ODOT Innovative Mobility Program, an Oregon-specific grant that allows colleges and universities to apply as eligible entities with a focus on transportation and innovation, which can grant up to $200,000 with a 10.27% match. This makes it perfect for what we are trying to accomplish.