Page 11 - The Wayne Dispatch

Here Comes the Bus allows parents to see where their child’s bus is along the route
and when it will be at their bus stop.
New technology to

track school buses

By Carolyn Marnon time map locations of their student’s
The Wayne-Westland Community bus, get push-notifications when the
School District transportation de- bus gets close by and helps everyone
partment has been rolling along with get to the bus stop at the right time.
several updates involving their Jenny says the school district
school buses this year. was offered the opportunity to be a
Here Comes the Bus is a new app pilot district for Here Comes the Bus
being used by the transportation de- last year at no cost to the district.
partment. The app uses global posi- The district chose to continue with
tioning system (GPS) technology to the app this year.
track the district’s school buses. On another note, transportation
According to WWCSD Communi- Director Rhonda Lyons, CTD, was
cations Director Jenny Johnson, the able to secure a grant from Michigan
school district “has partnered with Department of Environment, Great
Here Comes the Bus to offer families Lakes, and Energy that provided
an app that will help avoid students funding for 25% of new buses. “We
and parents from waiting too long were able to purchase five buses for
for the bus. Here Comes the Bus al- the price of four,” said Jenny John-
lows parents to see where their son. Three of the buses are general
child’s bus is along the route and education buses and two are special
when it will be at their bus stop.” education buses. The new buses use
The app can be downloaded to an either clean diesel or propane tech-
iPhone or Android device. nology which can reduce exposure to
Parents/guardians can then see real- exhaust fumes while riding the bus.

The Wayne Dispatch · December 2019 · 11