Hitchhiking as Transportation Solution

Frustrated by the lack of transportation options in her small town of Lawrence, Kansas, Jenny O'Brien decided to take matters into her own hands and stop waiting for the government or public entities to alleviate the situation.

With a focus on moving people instead of moving cars, Jenny O'Brien introduces her "single-digit" transportation solution, hitchhiking. Currently, one of the main objections to picking up hitchhikers is the lack of knowledge and trust, leading to fear among drivers. However, with the rise of the $26 billion peer-to-peer sharing economy, the potential to change these objections exists.

By using feedback, profiles, and reviews, O'Brien has built an application to transform random hitchhikers into trusted strangers. Throughout 150 test rides, the average waiting time is 7 minutes. The application is currently available only in Lawrence, Kansas.