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Transportation director reports on on‑time improvements, route software and high cost of stop‑arm cameras
Summary
Marion County Public Schools reported steady gains in morning bus on‑time arrival, steps to modernize routing and fleet technology, and said state stop‑arm camera requirements remain expensive — potentially prohibitive — to deploy across the fleet.
Marion County School District transportation officials told the board Jan. 9 that morning on‑time arrivals have been above 90% for the past five recorded weeks and that the district is rolling out several technology upgrades to improve safety and efficiency.
Key updates: Supervisor Eric Ostanek said the district has recorded a 3–6 percentage‑point improvement in on‑time arrivals compared with last year; at a district scale that would translate to an estimated 1,100 more students arriving on time each day, he said. Ostanek credited improvements to route optimization, driver attendance initiatives and better school unloading procedures.
Routing and fleet tech: Transportation staff are migrating to Transversa routing software, which they said will eliminate license constraints and offer features such as unlimited users, seating charts, online pre‑trip inspections and driver tablets with turn‑by‑turn directions. Officials are also testing Wi‑Fi‑enabled bus cameras, updated bus tablets and a dynamic routing feature that can help drivers locate and route stops for small numbers of remaining riders.
Stop‑arm cameras, costs and enforcement: Trustees pressed staff about stop‑arm cameras — devices that photograph vehicles that illegally pass buses — and Ostanek said the technology is effective but costly. With a fleet of about 249 active daily routes and more than 300 buses in total, the district estimates outfitting the entire fleet would be expensive. He also noted integration and ongoing contract fees add to costs, and that some districts rotate a small number of camera‑equipped buses rather than equipping every vehicle.
Vans and operational strategy: The district has added a small number of vans to run occasional routes or to address gaps where a full bus run would be inefficient. Ostanek said vans allowed staff to cover isolated student pickups and to respond flexibly to last‑minute needs.
Funding context: Board members discussed the district—s transportation allocation and the "compression" funds the state provides for rural transport. Transportation leaders said district allocations were in the $13–14 million range while the full transportation cost — including garage and maintenance — may run roughly twice that; board members discussed elevating the issue in regional legislative priorities.
Ending: Directors said they will present a cost estimate for specific vehicle technology investments at a future work session and provide a walk‑through of the bus garage ahead of the transportation item currently scheduled for Feb. 6.
