Initially, we planned to contact South Bend Public Schools to gain insight into how they plan their bus routes. After several missed calls, we located a school system online that provided adequate information for us to gain a better understanding of how a school system plans their bus routes. We thought this experience would be informative in that it would give us guidance for how St. Joseph Health System could standardize a transportation service for a diverse population
The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools website is located here: http://www.district196.org/
Bus Article Summary:
- Routes are determined by measuring the shortest distance from residencies to the school’s front door.
- Parents receive a postcard each month with bus stop location, bus numbers, and the arrival/departure times for specific school.
- Bus stops are determined by safety, efficiency, and distance between stops.
- Buses are located at intersections for efficiency and safety.
- The school system provides parents guidelines to ensure their kids have a safe and efficient bus ride
Insights gained:
- Each parent and/or family has specific needs and preferences which makes it difficult to standardize a bus system. I recognized this after reading through the Q/A section for parents.
- The school system consistently assesses bus routes and stops; they say they are willing to adjust routes if needed. This sheds light on the importance of remaining flexible throughout the process.
- The school system’s guiding principles for planning and handling bus routes are safety and efficiency.