2008 Woodie Awards
Co-op rideshare site offers students carpooling access
Melissa Kenyon and Stephanie Moran
Issue date: 2/28/07 Section: News
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When Ventz Petkov was traveling back and forth to his first co-op at Harvard University, he wished there was an easier way to commute.
So he created one.
Under the direction of engineering co-op coordinator Dr. Steven Kane, Petkov, a junior computer science major, designed Co-op Rideshare, a website that helps co-op students form carpooling networks.
"So many students go to the same place without even knowing it," Petkov said. "But why should both people drive, when one person can one day and the other the next?"
The site, launched on myNEU in November, works two ways: the first for drivers seeking passengers, and the second for passengers seeking transportation.
Drivers offering rides post listings, where their cars depart from and their destination, Petkov said. Drivers can also add personal preferences, like how much they will charge for gas money, he said.
Passengers seeking rides can either scan the entire database or narrow their search by entering keywords into the search engine, Petkov said.
In case a passenger's search returns no results, Petkov initiated the "Passenger Watch List," which allows a passenger to post his or her destination and be informed by e-mail if a post matches the criteria.
Although the feature is temporarily under construction, the database will also provide Google Maps of each destination posted.
Co-op Rideshare was the brainchild of Kane, who saw many of his students losing job opportunities because they simply couldn't find ways to get there.
"There are a lot of great jobs out on [Interstate] 495 and 128 but because of the driving situation, it was really becoming difficult," he said.
From there Petkov, Kane's work study of three years, produced the website in less than three months, which he said is no small task.
"You have to put this in perspective. This was not created by a team of software developers, but by a student who sat outside my office on his iBook, typing away," Kane said. "And if I sound proud, it's because I am."
So he created one.
Under the direction of engineering co-op coordinator Dr. Steven Kane, Petkov, a junior computer science major, designed Co-op Rideshare, a website that helps co-op students form carpooling networks.
"So many students go to the same place without even knowing it," Petkov said. "But why should both people drive, when one person can one day and the other the next?"
The site, launched on myNEU in November, works two ways: the first for drivers seeking passengers, and the second for passengers seeking transportation.
Drivers offering rides post listings, where their cars depart from and their destination, Petkov said. Drivers can also add personal preferences, like how much they will charge for gas money, he said.
Passengers seeking rides can either scan the entire database or narrow their search by entering keywords into the search engine, Petkov said.
In case a passenger's search returns no results, Petkov initiated the "Passenger Watch List," which allows a passenger to post his or her destination and be informed by e-mail if a post matches the criteria.
Although the feature is temporarily under construction, the database will also provide Google Maps of each destination posted.
Co-op Rideshare was the brainchild of Kane, who saw many of his students losing job opportunities because they simply couldn't find ways to get there.
"There are a lot of great jobs out on [Interstate] 495 and 128 but because of the driving situation, it was really becoming difficult," he said.
From there Petkov, Kane's work study of three years, produced the website in less than three months, which he said is no small task.
"You have to put this in perspective. This was not created by a team of software developers, but by a student who sat outside my office on his iBook, typing away," Kane said. "And if I sound proud, it's because I am."
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