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District to replace GPS units and switch to StopFinder routing app; vendor swap expected to save district about $46,000 over five years
Summary
Administration recommended replacing GPS units in district buses and adopting TransFinder’s StopFinder module to replace Here Comes the Bus; staff said a Zonar GPS solution would be cheaper and yield about $46,000 savings over a five-year contract, while StopFinder module costs about $17,000.
The district presented a transportation technology update on June 10 recommending replacement of GPS units across the vehicle fleet and adoption of TransFinder’s StopFinder parent-app module to replace the older Here Comes the Bus service.
Administrators said the district’s GPS units were last replaced in February 2019 and that new units, paired with StopFinder (which uses the same routing database as the district’s TransFinder routing software), would provide more timely and accurate parent notifications about bus location and stop times.
Administration reported that Zonar GPS hardware was selected as a lower-cost option in vendor comparisons and that choosing Zonar over other GPS vendors would save about $46,000 over a five-year contract term. The StopFinder module itself was estimated at approximately $17,000 (one-time or recurring module fee depending on contract details presented).
Board members asked whether StopFinder works like Here Comes the Bus; staff said StopFinder is an app that will push routing alerts from the same database so the two systems will be more tightly integrated and should provide better timeliness and accuracy. Transportation staff who reviewed the product reported being satisfied with StopFinder’s interface and integration potential.
Administration said both items are included in the general fund budget for 2025–26 and will be placed on the legislative agenda for board approval in June.
