With accuracies in feet and inches rather than a dozen yards, it is no wonder the last year saw a flurry of interest in the application of global positioning systems (GPS) to school transportation needs. At least half a dozen districts have, or are in the process of, adopting this new technology to aid in routing and scheduling. While that doesn't seem like many, the technology has become commonplace in other transportation modes so its entry to pupil transportation is inevitable.

Anticipating the interest, several transportation software vendors have expanded their offerings to include a GPS interface to their programs. Also emerging in the last 18 months are various interfaces to the Internet. These range from an ASP model where the district's routing and scheduling software AND data are kept on the vendor's site, to (e-link). Listed here is a side by side comparison of the pupil transportation functionalities offered by software vendors. (School Transportation News, March & April 2002)

The information presented in the 2002 edition of STN's annual Software Showcase was solicited from each of the software vendors. The magazine does not have the resources or expertise to conduct independent bench tests of these products. STN edited copy to fit space.

EASY BUS
EasyBus Software provides a suite of software programs designed to meet a wide range of transportation needs, from Field Trip Management and Driving Records to Preventative Maintenance, Mike Hinkley, CEO of the company. As the company name implies, these programs are distinguished by their easy-to-use interface that has more the feel of clicking through a web site than stumbling through the complex menus that many older DOS based programs were forced to rely on.

The Easy TripT software program allows users to enter trips and print schedules, driver itineraries, sign-up sheets, and a wide array of financial summary reports that can save countless hours for end-of-the-year reports that many transportation supervisors are required to provide. This flexible software program also provides driver rotation capabilities to fairly assign drivers to trips.

As one would expect, Easy TripT fully integrates with the Easy BusT vehicle maintenance program to ensure vehicles are available. It also integrates with personnel record management software Easy DriverT to supply drivers for trips. Finally, the Easy InvoiceT software module interfaces with Easy TripT and Easy BusT to create and track invoices.

Visit Easy Bus at www.T-0-done.com

Edgar Management
EDGAR, Inc. provides the proprietary Edgar Management Transportation System, according to Peter Caswell, president of the company. The comprehensive program includes: Special Education and Regular Transportation Scheduling and Routing system, Field Trip Transport and Accounting system, Trip Consolidation and Driver Route Assignment system, Boundary Planning and Student Assignment system, and Bus Pass and Parent Pay Accounting system. These systems are programmed to meet each client's specific requirements. This includes interface with all systems presently utilized within the transportation department including LAN, WAN and Internet requirements, and a direct interface with the school's accounting systems.

EDGAR does not provide a packaged system. Instead, it provides a programming service with management science algorithms developed specifically for the transportation industry. The programs are provided in the latest C programming language on the client's specified computer system platform. State-of-the-art statistical and mathematical routines are utilized to provide optimum transport cost reduction. Clients are provided on site client system development, instruction, and assistance in installation and implementation. EDGAR is winner of the Transportation Research Board award for its dissertation entitled, "Computerized Scheduling and Routing."

Visit Edgar Management, Inc. at www.edgar-inc.com.

EDULOG
Education Logistics, Inc. (EDULOG) has been busy in the last year increasing the power and flexibility of its groundbreaking EDULOG.nt software, according to Carter Young, marketing assistant. In addition, EDULOG has expanded its Internet offering with the industry's first Java-based products, increased the ease-of-use and operator control of special needs routing and introduced a new interface to the popular ARC/INFO mapping products.

The company has also created its first GPS product for bus location and tracking, and demonstrated the power of its optimization features recently in a large-scale government conducted test.

With EDULOG's WebQuery, WebStudent and WebReport software, authorized district personnel can now access EDULOG information and answer transportation questions on the Internet. Instead of constantly dealing with information requests, the web browser software allows transportation staff to spend more time improving routing and scheduling efficiency. Bus assignments, schedule changes, new transportation plans; all this can now be viewed using intuitive, easy-to-use software on the Internet or a district intranet. School districts making daily transportation changes or needing to "broadcast" transportation information throughout the community will appreciate these enhanced web products. EDULOG's GIS raster map looks much like a street atlas used by drivers.

Visit Edulog at www.edulog.com

Education Planning Solutions
Smartr.For SchoolsT by Education Planning Solutions Inc. is a GIS based routing package that has the ESRI ArcView software as its core mapping component, said Kerry Sommerville, CEO of the firm. Smartr uses the same GIS software used by the federal government, all 50 state transportation departments and most of the county governments nationwide. The software is compatible with most GPS devices and allows the real time tracking of school buses as well as mapping, boundary planning, run optimization, route optimization, driver records, accident tracking, field trip planning, fleet inventory, parent pay tracking, and special education. Education Planning Solutions Inc. provides its software as an all-inclusive package so there is no extra modules to buy; the system comes complete with all functionality. Using ESRI's platform also allows the user to tie to county and state mapping systems, as well as use internet map server to create an interactive web site for district personnel or the general public to provide maps, stop or boundary information. Also available is handheld or palm PC mapping devices and software, as well as software for the district administration and classroom for teaching geography, science and GIS-related courses.

Visit Education Planning Solutions at www.smartr.com.

Gecko Microsolutions
Microsolutions Transportation Operations Manager (T.O.M.) is a family of school transportation dispatching and administrative software developed by Gecko Microsolutions, Inc. The T.O.M. family currently consists of three members, said Brett Goshert, president of the company.

T.O.M. Routing is Gecko's new Routing and Mapping product. The T.O.M. Routing software is a full function routing software system that gives customers a wide range of features including: assessing student transportation eligibility, assigning students to stops, creating runs and routes, handling student special needs requirements, closed streets, walk zones, school boundaries and many more. T.O.M. Routing currently works with ESRI's ArcView GIS Mapping product to allow customers to use standard non Proprietary Street maps that can easily be obtain from several sources.

T.O.M. Field Trip Manager is Gecko's popular field trip management software. T.O.M. Field Trip allows a customer a comprehensive set of features including: Automatic assignment of drivers and buses to field trips using a wide variety of methods, comprehensive estimating, billing and budgeting, the ability for schools to enter trip requests electronically, comprehensive management reports, employee and vehicle management. WebTrips is Gecko's new web based remote field trip request software. WebTrips allows schools to enter trip requests and inquire on field trip activity over the Internet.

Visit Gecho Microsolutions at www.geckoms.com/about.htm

LogistiCare
LogistiCare Solutions, in conjunction with Dynamic Mobile Data and RouteMatch, offers route optimization and wireless student and vehicle tracking technology to the pupil transportation industry, said Henry Hardy, executive vice president of the company.

LogistiCare offers full service transportation management services to school transportation administrators. With roots in the medical transportation field, the company is particularly experienced in the transportation of the medically fragile and students with special needs. The company also provides comprehensive vehicle and student tracking through mobile data terminals and GPS units installed in all vehicles.

The company's vehicle tracking product allows dispatchers and parents to know, in real time, when and where students have boarded or left the bus, and allows administrators to know where the bus is at all times. A call-ahead feature alerts parents to the approach of the bus to the bus stop nearest them.

By using the routing algorithms designed into the software, the transportation fleet is assured that routes are being precisely calculated to maximize time and distance required. This routing software is part of a larger data management and billing suite of software capabilities that is also available for consideration.

Visit LogistiCare at www.logisticare.com.

MicroAnalytics
BUSTOPS is a flexible and full-featured student transportation management system that can meet the needs of transportation departments, school boards and ministry officials. BUSTOPS' Student Transportation Management System is a school bus routing program that enables school districts to conduct single- or multi-route and run optimization using individual time parameters. System capabilities include: performing queries on students, school and boundaries; matching students to stops; calculating time of pick up; moving stops from route to route; printing reports an maps; and advance grade using SQL commands.

Since 1986, Microanalytics, based in Arlington, Va., has manufactured the software for use in over 350 school systems throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

School districts can use BUSTOPS to optimize the sequence of one route or automatically create optimum routes for the entire fleet of buses. It also provides capability to display and analyze demographic statistics for a school board. Functions include general data analysis to show geographic distribution of students by grade, eligibility for transportation, school, route, ethnic origin and other data attributes. It allows for administrators to conduct redistricting studies and effectively plan for future needs of the school board.

Visit MicroAnalytics at www.bestroutes.com and BUSTOPS at www.bustops.com.

ONTIRA
Ontira's Student Transportation Information System (STIS) is an easy to use automated telephone communication system that offers students, parents and guardians secure access to school bus information and schedules 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Standard STIS Features include: real-time student registration information, student eligibility for transportation, and ride information for bus route, bus stops and pick-up & drop-off times.

Announcements and general information including: transportation policies; lost and found information; critical announcement bulletins (e.g., weather closures, service interruptions); special event announcements and bulletins delivered automatically to appropriate persons; transfer to a transportation agent or redirect to home school phone number upon request; secure password-protected login; and seamless integration with scheduling software.

Several communication modules are available: TDD - Give hearing impaired students, parents and guardians access to ride information without the need for separate TDD devices; Message Center - Students may leave messages to notify school district staff of desired changes in transportation requirements; Internet - Students access their real-time ride and registration information through an interactive website; Dial-out - Notify parents and guardians of school bus delays affecting the student, and the estimated time of arrival.

Visit Onitra at www.ontira.com/layers/center.html

TIMS
The Transportation Information Management System (TIMS) software can aid transportation department in a variety of areas, according to Debbie Preston, CEO. The Vehicle Maintenance module tracks all maintenance records, produces agency billings, cost per mile reporting, PMI alerts, mechanic analysis, and inventory stock status. The Special Trips module aids in trip scheduling, driver worksheets with all trip information and directions, billing, and historical reporting of trips by agency and activity. The Routing module produces route sheets, bus and school schedules, and J141 information. With the Accident Tracking module, schools can record accidents by weather and road condition, driver, time of day, and day of week. Graphical analysis is available in most of the modules.

Added to the TIMS software package of Vehicle Maintenance, Routing, Special Trips, and Accident Tracking is the new Driver Training module. This module allows users to enter the training records, and then, based on the training date, will calculate the training period automatically. It can then produce the T01, T02, and T03 reports. There are screen inquiries of training and of proficiency by bus type and terrain codes. Also available: driver notifications of upcoming expiration dates for certificates and licenses.

TRACERNET
TracerNET offers software and hardware solutions that help school transportation professionals keep track of where buses, students and drivers are in real-time, said Theresa Hatton of TracerNET. The system uses GPS, wireless communication and software to help districts improve efficiency and accountability. TracerNET's in-vehicle hardware has the ability to connect to sensors, which can monitor doors, lights, engine outputs, as well as integrate with peripheral devices, such as card readers, to track students as they enter and exit the bus. An optional display is available allowing drivers and dispatcher to send text messages to each other, decreasing radio traffic and miscommunication.

Some of the capabilities of the system include: real-time bus location, automatic status of door open/close, real-time capabilities to determine which children are on which bus, ability for parents to know exactly when children will be picked up and dropped off at assigned bus stops. Moreover, the software offers schools to know precisely when buses will arrive; complete knowledge and access to maintenance information; and the ability to monitor compliance issues, speed, stopping prior to railroad tracks, moving with doors open, and use of proper indicator lights.

Visit TracerNet at www.tracernet.com/index.html

Transfinder Transportation Management System
Transfinder Transportation Management and Redistricting Software solutions are available for Windows and web-based environments, according to Antonio Civitella, President and CEO of the company. Transfinder® Pro is a transportation management and planning tool that enables the user to create routes and schedules, develop "what-if" scenarios, analyze bus routes and pick-up sites and adjust to changes. Users can access data on students, schools, buses, drivers and routes to generate letters, passenger lists, emergency and other reports. The latest product, Transfinder® le, allows administrators to access or report data and request field trips from Transfinder Pro using Internet Explorer® or Netscape Communicator. District personnel can check trip calendars. Expected soon is a complimentary product, Transfinder®, aimed at allowing parents, real estate agents and others to access information about schools, bus stops and route assignments based on an address.

Visit Transfinder at transfinder.com/home/

Trapeze Software Group
Trapeze MapNet 3.0 is a complete suite of tools for school transportation providers, said Rick Bacchus, president of the transportation group. It integrates the functionality of three Trapeze products: MapNet, for routing and scheduling; School-Trip, for planning and dispatching extracurricular school field trips; and Fleet, for fleet management.

The MapNet routing and scheduling module delivers planning features, automated bus stop and route building capabilities, and route coordination components that optimize the efficiency of routes. Map editing functionality allows you to precisely update the detailed electronic system maps. This module also enables the user to easily calculate transportation-related costs.

The School-Trip module enables transportation providers to efficiently plan, schedule and dispatch school trips, estimate and calculate costs, and generate driver trip sheets. The software also creates detailed invoices and a variety of user-definable reports.

The Fleet module enables inventory control, vehicle maintenance management, work orders, fuel consumption tracking, operations management, and productivity analysis. This affordable, proven product provides numerous safety and efficiency benefits to school transportation organization.

Trapeze School-Lite is a routing and transport management product designed specifically for the needs and budgets of transportation managers and planners in small school districts. School-Lite enables you to store and track student information, define service districts and build efficient routes using GIS map features, create route sheets, and generate many kinds of standard and customized reports. Among its many benefits, School-Light can be tightly integrated with other productivity applications, and its flexible user interface and parameter settings enable you to customize the product to your unique requirements.

Visit Trapeze Software at www.trapezesoftware.com

VersaTrans
VersaTrans Solutions, Inc. has been providing VersaTrans Routing and PlanningT software for nearly 20 years, according to Doug Hamlin, president of the company. Those years of incorporating user feedback into the design philosophy of the software has produced an intuitive and flexible product. Transportation directors using VersaTrans can implement district policy as it is written; they don't have to adjust policies to work with their software.

As an automated routing and school district planning product, VersaTrans' fully integrated features include a comprehensive, single-screen student record, a wide variety of standardized and customized reports, flexibility to handle daily variations in pickup and drop-off information, comparative fleet scheduling and simple "what-if" scenario creation. NavTech NavstreetsT, the power behind GM's On-Star System and the most accurate street network database in North America, serve as the source for VersaTrans electronic maps. For VersaTrans Routing and Planning, as well as its other products, VersaTrans Solutions provides fast and accurate telephone and on-line technical support as well as thorough on-site training.

The company also offers three other full-featured software products for school transportation management: Versa Trans TripTrackerT, a field trip management tool, that enables full life cycle tracking of field trips; VersaTrans e-LinkT, providing Internet or Intranet access to transportation data; and VersaTrans FleetVision, a fleet management software product that allows users to schedule preventive maintenance, track fuel and parts inventories, monitor fuel consumption and efficiently complete the work order process.

Visit VersaTrans at www.versatrans.com