search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
Supersized Technology


Matt Kearns reviews routes at RSU 57 in Waterboro, Maine.


here. So, I wanted to make sure that we would not have any incompatibility issues with any technology, be it on- board telematics, or what we’re using in the office. Even the best laid plans have their little hiccups, but we’d be in real trouble if we didn’t have what we have now.” Matt Kearns, the transportation director for RSU 57 in


Waterboro, Maine, has GPS from Tyler Technologies in- stalled on all 48 buses and 11 vans in his fleet. Kearns said that while the district can track vehicle speed and loca- tion, the telematics aspect is probably the most popular. “Actually, it has been the most used features out


of the GPS technology,” Kearns explained. “Now the mechanic can pull up the information on a computer screen in the garage and determine whether they need to go out on a road call, or if the bus or van can be driv- en back to the garage.” Kearns said his predecessor started the move toward GPS, but the technology was on only eight buses when he arrived. “We found that the technology was very helpful.” [As a result] we felt we should install it on the remainder of the fleet,” Kearns said. “We retrofitted the entire fleet in the summer of 2018.” Waterboro transports about 3,000 students in six towns


improved operations,” Falk said. “Obviously, we are run- ning more efficient routes and were able to eliminate an entire route this year. We are able to provide more exact information to parents. When [parents] call about a stop time, I can tell them when the bus was at a stop—down to the second.” “When a safety concern is brought to us, such as a bus


stopped in a dangerous area, or if a bus is speeding or not stopping properly at a railroad crossing, we can turn that into a training tool,” she reported. Falk said Zonar integrates with the district’s SafeStop


parent app that gives parents bus location and an es- timated time of arrival. Transportation staff also have telematics that come with the Zonar system. She offered this piece of advice: “With all of the software that is avail- able, you can buy whatever you want. But getting them all to work together is sometimes not as easy as the sales representative says,” Falk discovered. She added: “We buy Thomas Built Buses, because Zonar is standard equipment. We had a clean slate when I got


56 School Transportation News • SEPTEMBER 2019


in southern Maine. The transportation staff uses Tyler’s Versatrans routing, with surveillance and stop-arm cam- eras being provided by REI. “We have high-definition cameras in all of our fleet now,” Kearns said. “We have an exterior stop-arm camera or a dash camera on 20 buses to catch any vehicle passing the stop arm.” Kearns said he has installed a six-foot extended stop


arm from Bus Safety Solutions on some buses. Meanwhile, he is also evaluating a parent app that will allow parents to track the progress and location of their children’s school bus.


A Life Saver GPS technology is being credited with saving a life


in Georgia. Gwinnett County Public Schools transports about 131,000 of the district’s 186,000 students daily. That makes it the third largest transporter of students in the nation behind New York City and Fairfax County, Virginia. According to Don Moore, executive director for trans-


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