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-# Prototypes
+# Design
 
-Prototypes: https://www.figma.com/proto/bXKQi5P1RpGKSb1Ao6w0V5/Community-Transit-Tool?type=design&node-id=90-70&t=x7FTw7EVAgcb2nik-1&scaling=scale-down&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-id=90%3A70&mode=design
+### Prototypes 
+You can view prototypes [here](https://www.figma.com/proto/bXKQi5P1RpGKSb1Ao6w0V5/Community-Transit-Tool?node-id=90-70&t=mejb94ZIzXd2Ov3v-1&scaling=scale-down&page-id=0%3A1&starting-point-node-id=90%3A70)
 
-Design Guidelines: https://uchicago.box.com/s/p76s5pptblh7kelb928la7k4mj9se9c9
+###Problem Statement 
+
+Following the pandemic ridership decreased on public transit. This prevents a funding threat to public transit agencies, so increasing ridership is a top priority; however, transit agencies often lack the data to deeply understand rider behaviors and needs. We need an innovative solution to bridge the gap between policy makers and the public across the US, enabling urban transit policy makers to utilize data analytics while incorporating public feedback in transit planning. This solution should:
+
+•	Utilize data analytics to help facilitate a data informed transit planning process for urban planners.
+
+•	Engage the public with user-friendly interfaces, encouraging active participation.
+
+•	Collect feedback to gain insights into rider preferences.
+
+•	Provide increased transparency in the route planning process.
+
+Background 
+
+Following the COVID pandemic, ridership levels have decreased significantly across the US [1]. For instance, in Chicago ridership levels are down to about 60% of what they were pre-COVID [2].  The issue of decreased ridership is sometimes referred to as the “transit death spiral” [1], which refers to a cycle where declining ridership leads to service cuts, which in turn further discourages ridership. As cities work to recover from the effects of the pandemic, addressing the issue of decreased ridership and rider engagement is critical.
+
+Transit authorities are in constant search of ways to increase ridership and improve the current system. Given the financial constraints they face, they need to prioritize the investments that are expected to yield higher returns. The analysis of where to invest should be data driven, which could be a time extensive activity imposing challenges for transit authorities given the staff constraints.
+
+In addition, urban transit policy makers face the challenge of involving the public effectively in their transit planning decisions. Current methods like emails or phone calls for feedback aren't engaging enough, limiting the amount of public input into route decisions.User Research 
+
+Background for current events:
+
+low ridership, safety issues, difficult to recruit train operators: https://news.wttw.com/2024/02/27/cta-president-pledges-restore-service-pre-pandemic-levels-faces-frustration-city-council
+
+Illinois Employers Required to Provide Public Transit Benefits in 2024: https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/illinois-employers-required-to-provide-public-transit-benefits-in-2024/
+
+Climate Action Plan- Pillar 3: Deliver A Robust Zero-Emission Mobility Network That Connects Communities And Improves Air Quality: 
+
+https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/sites/climate-action-plan/documents/BA_Chicago-CAP-Addendum_20230508_Reduced.pdf
+
+Electrify 100% of the City’s fleet by 2035, achieve zero-emission transit fleets across Chicagoland by 2040
+
+Accounting for carbon emissions: “Accounting for carbon emissions in public transport
+
+To account for its achievements on the road to decarbonisation, the public transport sector needs to report and monitor its emissions in line with the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. This ensures limiting carbon emissions won’t be a one off action, but a commitment to year-on-year emissions monitoring and reduction. The GHG Protocol established a global standardised framework to measure and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Not only from private and public sector operations, but also from value chains and mitigation actions. The protocol identifies three scopes of emissions: Scope 1: Direct GHG emissions, Scope 2: Electricity/energy indirect GHG emissions, Scope 3: Corporate Value Chain”.  https://www.uitp.org/news/how-public-transport-can-decarbonise/
+
+“Ten minutes is that magic mark,” says Kari Watkins, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis. Watkins's research looks at how to expand mobility through methods other than driving. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/better-bus-systems-could-slow-climate-change/
+
+Some customer struggles: Because most riders get to bus stops by walking, sidewalks and other surrounding infrastructure are needed, too. In 2011 a child in Georgia was killed by a hit-and-run driver while he and his family were crossing the street to get to their bus stop. The stop was located directly across from their apartment complex, but crossing the street via the nearest crosswalk would have meant walking an additional two thirds of a mile.” https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/better-bus-systems-could-slow-climate-change
+
+### User Research 
+
+According to the preliminary user research, we identified the following challenges related to the problem statement:
+
+Constraints for Data-driven Decisions: Policy makers and transit authorities have limited resources and often don’t have teams that can fully dedicate time to advanced data analytics/engineering tasks.
+
+Decreasing Ridership: Lack of engagement and alignment with community preferences has led to fewer riders, threatening transit system sustainability.
+
+Limited Public Input: Current feedback methods aren't attracting enough participation, resulting in narrow perspectives for route decisions. Transit policy makers don’t have a good understanding of what motivates people to use or not transit. 
+
+Inefficient Feedback Collection: Gathering and processing feedback through traditional channels like via email and via phone takes too long, delaying transit improvements.
+
+### Design Guidelines
+Design Guidelines are saved [here] (https://uchicago.box.com/s/p76s5pptblh7kelb928la7k4mj9se9c9)