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Transportation update: Wayfinder tablets, GPS upgrade and bus purchases; district studying electric‑bus transition under NYSERDA grant
Summary
Transportation staff said the district will roll out Wayfinder tablets to support drivers, upgrade GPS to CalAmp Synovia, add one large bus and one small bus (van‑style), and has engaged Wendell Engineering under a NYSERDA grant to study campus electrical capacity needed for electric buses.
At the Feb. 13 board meeting transportation staff summarized route‑technology upgrades, fleet purchases and the district’s work to assess long‑term electric‑bus viability.
Transportation director (Ms. McGrane) said the district purchased tablets this year and will begin installing and piloting Wayfinder next year; the system provides turn‑by‑turn directions and helps drivers pivot when routes change. She also said the district is upgrading its GPS fleet tracking to CalAmp Synovia, a vendor trustees were told is more user‑friendly and widely used by districts and contractors.
The budget proposes purchasing one large gasoline bus and one smaller gasoline bus (referred to in materials as a van). Staff said the district is avoiding diesel buses for maintenance and emissions reasons and is not purchasing electric buses at this time because current electric models have limited range (staff cited 80–100 miles per charge in existing deployments) and high purchase prices (presented figure: about $425,000 per large electric bus). Transportation staff said current electric‑bus prototypes can lead to higher downtime and that the district’s operations—long routes and midday service—make present electric models impractical.
To prepare for a mandated transition to zero‑emission vehicles in later years, the district engaged Wendell Engineering under a NYSERDA grant that covers roughly 75% of the study cost. The consultant will audit the district’s electrical infrastructure, model charging needs, estimate fire‑suppression changes and cost out a full transition so the district can decide whether to phase in electric vehicles and how many chargers and infrastructure upgrades would be required.
Trustees asked whether hybrids or electrics were considered and whether the district had calculated gasoline budgets across departments. Staff said charging and range limitations are the primary barriers now, and that a full EV transition will carry large infrastructure costs; staff said they will share the Wendell study results when available.
