EDITOR’S TAKE
Technology Abounds, But What Are You Going to Do With It?
Written by Ryan Gray |
ryan@stnonline.com O
ver the years, this magazine has increasingly focused on technology, fitting for the times. Decades ago, after all, electric buses and artifi- cial intelligence-driven routing software and
video cameras were the things of science fiction movies. Today’s school buses, while they largely look similar to what we rode as students to and from school or related activities, can require advanced training and certification to simply operate them. Computers play a vital role in di- agnostics and tuning. Who would have thought 30 years ago that they would replace the wrench? (OK, wrenches are still necessary, but my point is school buses have come a long way, as have the people who operate and maintain them.) This month, we look at how school
districts have responded to the sunsetting of 3G wireless communi- cations devices and the transition to 4G technology to drive the latest GPS and tablets. The experts note that the new 5G networks are for cell phones, and transportation won’t need that increased bandwidth for another de- cade. But time goes by fast. Are you beginning to prepare questions now for vendors to address procurement needs in five to 10 years? Or are you leaving those decisions for some- one else. Planning your successor, perhaps? This along with Wi-Fi hotspots, AI for video cameras and
Ultimately, it’s the positive safety impacts that the
industry is truly seeking. Data is the key to showing the powers that be that the school busing model still works and that it provides safe passage to and from school. The reality is, however, that more than ever there are
also competing options for getting kids to and from school—school bus ridership nationwide decreased to some 16.6 million in 2017, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey, and school bus ridership continued to decrease through the COVID-19 pandemic. Student transporta- tion has always encompassed more than simply school buses, but now student transporters have the opportu- nity to hold influence over a wider net, cast for students
If school buses are to be truly viewed as extensions of the classroom, or more aptly as the preferred conduits to get children to school ready to learn, student transporters must make the case for a continued seat at the budgetary table. Data is a great way to tell that story.”
footage, and culling data in the bus garage are exciting de- velopments, for sure when there are funding mechanisms in place to pay for them. They can also be nerve-wracking, as department leaders juggle learning curves with finding adequate staff power to operate the technology. But the end-result should be that operations become more effi- cient, to allow districts to do more with less. If school buses are to be truly viewed as extensions of the classroom, or more aptly as the preferred conduits to get children to school ready to learn, student transporters must make the case for a continued seat at the budgetary table. Data is a great way to tell that story. But let’s also not lose focus on the reasons these technology solutions are necessary. There would be no need for video cameras or routing software, or Wi-Fi hotspots to allow students to catch up on homework or to pass video footage seamless- ly from bus to dispatch without the student riders.
12 School Transportation News • MAY 2022
who rely on some other way to school besides Mom and Dad. And technology offers opportunities to di- rect and manage student transportation services using non-yellow vehicles. Meanwhile, student transporters can partner with state and local Safe Routes to School Programs to create walking and biking paths to and from school. Student transporters are stewards of safety in their communities. How can they even influence teen driver programs, which organizations like the National Transportation Safety Board continuously target in the effort to realize net zero traffic fatalities? When looking to adopt the latest bells and whistles, let
your judgements ultimately fall on selecting the solutions that would best impact safety for the students served, no matter the mode they or their parents choose. ●
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