The notion doesn’t sit well with all in the school trans-
portation sector, as reflected by Stamper. “Absolutely not,” she said. “It’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.” Charlotte McCoy, AVIA spokesperson, added that “au-
tonomous vehicles offer many exciting safety benefits, but to our knowledge there are not currently plans for autonomous school buses.” Bendix’s Thomas recommends that industry pro-
Albert Ross, supervisor of driver training for San Antonio Independent School District in Texas, points out a front sensor used to measure following distances behind other traffic.
wheel and it’s used for coaching tools. Dashboard and software data indicates the technology
is working, added Morosin. A new dash cluster displays alerts within the five-inch
digital color display. Drivers have custom view options including speedometer, gear selection indicator, safety indicators and distance to empty on fuel, as well as state of charge and estimated range on battery electric vehicles. “Drivers are not averting eyes to the left or right to
monitor a collision avoidance alert or to check the park- ing brake status,” Morosin explained. “It minimizes driver distractions and provides a sense of enhanced confidence for them and their ability to safely operate the vehicle.” An optional tire pressure monitoring system provides
visual alerts if the air pressure or temperature per tire or axle requires attention. OnCommand Connection, the web portal operating in the background, is frequently used by transportation directors to gather intelligence on track and trace, harsh braking, and bus stop information. It is used as a coach- ing tool to monitor driver activity, review events and guide toward better driving performance. With this new technology, autonomous vehicles are
now part of the technology discussion. Jeff Farrah, executive director of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association (AVIA), recently testified in front of a U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Highways and Transit at a hearing on the future of automated commercial motor vehicles. Automated vehicles are viewed as one solution to the commercial transportation sector driver shortage.
36 School Transportation News • NOVEMBER 2023
fessionals reference the SAE J3016 Levels of Driving Automation chart. “We’re talking about Level 1 or 2 tech- nology,” commented Andersky. “There is no autonomous school bus available.”
Districts Invest In Tech School districts that have made more technological
investments are seeing positive results. For instance, the Cleveland Independent School District in Texas transports 10,000 of its 12,500 students on 130 buses throughout 143 square miles. Director of Transportation Cody Cox said five years ago the district started integrat- ing mostly SMART Tag as well as Transfinder, TransPar and REI systems, taking into account service, perfor- mance and cost. “We are able to see exactly where students get on and
off the bus. It allows us to investigate concerns and missing students quickly,” he added, noting that collision mitigation and SMART Tag is standard. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Independent School Dis-
trict (SAISD) located 200 miles west of Cleveland ISD, has Bendix Wingman, Bendix Wingman Fusion, four interior cameras, and Wi-Fi hot spots—all optional equipment— in its fleet. SAISD transports 8,200 of its 45,000 students across 79 square miles with 220 buses. “Wi-Fi enhances student education and extends the
instructional day to the school bus in the morning and afternoon,” noted Katelyn Saenz, transportation director of operations. The district developed an RFP with the intent to identi- fy a single vendor for the safety components. Bus drivers and monitors were engaged in the process from the start, involved in designing the criteria. “Critical criteria for us were ease of use and vendor turn-
around time on malfunctions or repairs,” she said, adding the safety items were all funded through the district’s stop arm camera program. Since implementing the technology, student referrals
and reportable at-fault accident to the state has declined. But training is key for adopting new technology. Mervin Hence, director of transportation for New
Kent County Public Schools in Virginia, said his district implemented a collision mitigation system that officials
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76
