Cambrian College students win provincial competition for transit planning

A team of international business analytics students from Cambrian College in Sudbury won first place at a recent provincial competition for their data-driven solutions aimed at improving public transportation and connectivity in the city of Hamilton. 

The three students — Aderlly Lopez Lobato from Peru, Rohan Reddy Tirumalareddy and Chaitali Jani from India — competed against roughly 39 teams from post-secondary institutions across Ontario at the Higher Education Analytics Data competition, with the top eight teams competing in the final held at at Mohawk College.

Each group was given a range of data sets and asked to explore ways to improve urban mobility and infrastructure.

Using data on existing sidewalks, the group developed walkability and bikeability scores for each ward in the city, ranging from 0 to 100, Tirumalareddy explained. 

"We were surprised by how uneven the connectivity was across Hamilton's 15 wards," Jani said. "Some areas had great sidewalk coverage and bike lanes scoring close to 100, while others were much lower, sometimes below 30."

The team used a grid-based visualization to map transit access, highlighting problem areas where high-density regions lacked adequate bus service. 

Their analysis of connectivity to key locations like hospitals, schools, arenas, and tourist sites led to recommendations for new bus stops and routes to improve access in under served areas.

"I think the most important part of our approach is that we didn't consider only one or two databases. We focused on taking, like three, four databases that were meaningful to those spots, and we calculated within those spots, what type of connectivity they had," Lobato said.

Key takeaways

The students now see potential for a similar analysis in Sudbury.

"If we analyze Sudbury's transportation system, we would definitely find a connectivity gap," Jani said, noting that the city's harsh winters make bus stop distribution a critical issue. 

She said their approach could help identify areas where residents face long walks to transit in difficult conditions.

The team explained that their key takeaway is the importance of visualizing data and findings, as it makes complex transportation challenges more accessible and helps even non-experts understand infrastructure gaps and potential improvements.

"Our visualization would help Sudbury leaders and residents to know exactly where connectivity is weak, like if an arena or school lacks transit access, and guide them on where to invest first," Jani said. 

Beyond the competition, the students are considering applying their analytical skills to real-world urban planning. 

Tirumalareddy is looking for opportunities in data analytics, possibly in the transportation sector. Jani hopes to explore careers in data-driven urban planning, while Lobato is interested in staying in Sudbury if the right job comes up. 

The team is even considering launching a consulting business to help cities improve their transportation networks.

For their first-place finish, the Cambrian team earned a $1,500 cash prize — money that Jani jokingly said will go toward tuition fees for their next semester.

"I think this win is a huge validation of our hard work and teamwork," said Jani. "[The competition] has shown me how powerful data can be in solving real world problems."