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Bring your long-distance buses into the Internet age … for your children’s sake. By Jim Guzewich, President, Versatrans Solutions
ride? Will they be home for dinner? What about their homework? What if the bus breaks down?
D
If you live in a large rural area, the answer is probably “Yes!”
Te Bemidji, Minnesota, Area Schools Transportation Department was grappling with just these questions. Te area covered by the school district is one of the largest in the state, in terms of land area. Aſter-school activity bus trips of two to three hours — each way, and oſten aſter dark — are not uncommon.
The Challenge – Driving Outside of Radio Range
Historically, the District received many calls from parents and community members regarding buses, and their location and schedules. Not only were the calls time-consuming for staff to take and respond to, but in some instances the transportation manager did not have unequivocal data with which to back up his responses. Since issues were sometimes valid, and sometimes not valid, a method was needed to determine whether or not a problem actually existed. Because the activity buses typically travel long distances outside of radio frequency range, a method of sending data from the bus to the District transportation office was needed.
Academically, teachers felt a need to help students who participate in athletic and other events requiring very long bus rides get their homework done. By the time a student arrived home from an athletic event three hours away, it could already be dark, and aſter dinnertime.
In essence, the key challenges included the need to:
• Enhance the ability to respond quickly to bus emergencies and breakdowns
• Enhance accountability for activity bus performance against schedule
• Help students traveling long distances get their homework done by providing access to the Internet on the bus
Wi-Fi, An Internet-Based Solution
Bemidji implemented route management and planning soſtware, a GPS device, a wireless hot spot mounted on each bus, and soſtware allowing display of current bus locations on an online map. Tis allows dispatchers to know immediately the location of a bus if a parent question comes up, or if aid needs to be dispatched because of a breakdown or severe storm. In addition, the hot spot provided students traveling long distances to and from athletic and other aſter school events access to on-bus Internet for homework and communication with friends and parents.
Tyler Versatrans® Routing & Planning™ with Tyler Telematic GPS™, Versatrans Onscreen® and a Wi-Fi receiver were used to provide a seamless solution.
o you think about your children on their way back from an athletic event aſter dark on a chilly winter night? How about that three-hour bus
Benefits • Increased accountability for adherence to bus schedules
• Increased ability to support drivers in the event of a breakdown or other emergency
• Better academic performance for students with access to the Internet on long aſter-school bus rides
• Improved student behavior on long bus rides with student access to the Internet and social networking
Partnering To Create An Integrated Solution
Soſtware: Tyler Technologies worked with the Bemidji School District to support the installation of Onscreen and to set it up for integration with incoming GPS data sent via a mobile Wi-Fi device.
Hardware: Tyler Telematic GPS Wi-Fi units were used to create a solution that could collect GPS data and send it long distances to the transportation office. Each bus also carries a Verizon hotspot, which supplies both the Internet connection for student riders, and the ability to transmit GPS information to the office for display on Onscreen. During implementation, a Tyler expert was on-site to install and test the Wi-Fi GPS devices on several buses, and to set the procedure for additional installations. To extend the functionality, the District will be piloting Versatrans My Stop™ with summer school students. My Stop provides parents the ability to see and track a school bus on any Internet-connected device, including smartphones.
“The Tyler system works marvelously for our students and drivers who travel long distances. In the future, GPS plus wireless technology may be
rolled out for all buses leaving the town center.” — Ken Stevens, Special Ed Transportation Manager
Best Practices
Technology Convergence. Te use of a device with both Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities that sends and receives data from beyond radio transmission distance represents a best practice of the use of integrated technologies to perform a seamless unified process.
Student Internet Access. Providing Internet access to students traveling long distances – oſten for as much as 2-3 hours – increases their ability to get homework done and to communicate with family and friends.
Open Door Policy. Te Transportation Department’s open door policy invites parents and other community members who have a vested interest in school bus operations to come in and observe the technology in action. Tis builds trust throughout the community that all parties are working in the common interest of students.
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