Transportation Routing Software

The Vendor is required to provide regarding school bus routing software that is scalable to include GPS vehicle tracking and a near real-time bus tracking application for use by the district.
- Provide a comprehensive, user-friendly, and secure school bus routing software solution with the following must-have features:
1. Technology
• This system must be a Geographic Information System, not using any proprietary mapping technology.
• Mapping and database technologies must be fully integrated, not requiring synchronization, re-indexing, or other routing procedures between.
• The system must be able to export reports to Microsoft Word, Excel, HTML, and text.
• It must be able to be viewed by tablets, such as the iPad.
• The routing software provider must perform daily backups.
• Allow students to download from Infinite Campus and upload to Infinite Campus with bus stop and routing assignments.
• Ability to create a polygon layer for the group student election
• Ability to create polygon layer(s) to identify different types of road hazards (such as students cannot cross streets or roads under construction) that can be used in calculating bus routes.
• Ability to use online GIS data sources from the city (parcels) and the schools (attendance zones) is preferred.
• Ability to assign students to stops using defined criteria, such as distance to closest stop, etc.
• Automatic and manual student-to-stop assignment, including single and multiple student selection-based capability.
• Ability to display live GPS data from within the routing software to compare actual versus planned bus routes.
• Ability to push bus routes through tablets to display the route map with visible and audible turn-by-turn navigation directions.
• Should have differentiated user types. For example, routers should have full access to view and edit, but supervisors have more limited views and no editing ability.
2. Geographic Information System (GIS) Mapping
• The System must use a county-wide map of County.
• Must be able to use satellite or Orthographic GIS map data within all maps in the routing system.
• The system must be able to use tax parcel data or structure point data to assign each address a longitude, latitude, or geocode.
• The system must allow users to adjust the address point or tax parcel in Map Editing or a similar mode.
• The user must be able to update GIS Map Data when necessary.
• Map editing must be integrated and not require a separate or external software package.
• The user must be able to zoom into a location when required.
• The map must be moved by the cursor when needed.
3. Routing Algorithms
• Stop times, speeds, and directions should be able to be adjusted manually by the user for each route; adjustments should not be an overall change within the system that affects all routes.
• The user must be able to see all students on a route simultaneously, and not just one at a time.
• System must allow dual bus assignments for students who utilize multiple buses due to shuttling, custody arrangements, or daycare situations.
• The user must be able to see all transportation-eligible students assigned and not assigned to a route.
• The system must be functional for creating and maintaining special needs routing, vocational routing, and other types of specialty routing, such as out-of-district and multiple-school drop-offs.
• The system must visually indicate which students are assigned to each stop, showing the user-defined boundary.
• If the user turns on automation, the system will assign new students to each stop as they move into the stop’s area. The system must also alert users to ridership loads that exceed designated load limits.
• The user must be able to group any students on the map for placing them on a route or moving from one route to another.
• The system must have a point-and-click distance measurement capability to determine walk-to-stop distance or distance between stops.
4. Data Manipulation and Reporting
• The system should have an initial reminder/task screen that immediately brings key information to the user’s attention upon starting the program, such as showing students who need to be assigned or removed from bus routes.
• As part of its internal capabilities, the system must be able to manipulate information in spreadsheet form when specific criteria are met. Must also be able to send these reports to recipients’ email addresses.
• The user should be able to define data, sort data, sub-sort, and save data as required based on specific queries.
• User should be able to copy/reverse routes as needed to accommodate the needs/changes necessary to bus routes with system toolbar options.
• A public web application where a student’s zoned school can be located by entering their address. Additionally, a report that can determine next year’s school based on the current address must be included in the system.
• The system must have a library of pre-defined reports about students, staff, routes, and schools.
• The user must be able to add or modify street addresses/house numbers as needed.
• Permit user edits to boundaries when necessary.
• The user must be able to accommodate new streets and/or housing developments that are not yet on commercial maps.
• The ability to edit students’ data as required from multiple databases and flexible school/residency information.
• Allow for multiple routing, including current and upcoming year routing.
• Make the user aware of any conflicts between a student’s special needs requirements or loading requirements and the equipment, bus, or route assigned. 
• The system will provide a method to update enrollment transactions to the bus routing system.
5. General Functionality
• The system must have redistricting and boundary planning functionality to manipulate school attendance zones.
• The software package must include field trip management functions and a browser function to process field trip requests.
• The software package must include fleet maintenance software.
• Must include all currently integrated functions such as GPS/fleet/field trips/Infinite Campus
• Must provide simultaneous access for various users, such as multiple dispatchers and supervisors.
• The software package must include GPS hardware & software that includes driver activity & route viewing, or route tracking/driver activity software that seamlessly integrates with Geotab
• Solution should provide tiered access levels within the system.
6. System Reporting Capabilities
• Students not located on a map
• Students not assigned transportation
• Routes that exceed the trip time threshold set for each type of route
• Routes that exceed the load threshold
• Vehicles with special equipment
• Students requiring shuttle transportation from one school to another for specialized programs
• Turn-by-turn directions for routes and stops
• Deadhead times and distances
• Cost analysis of routes
• Student listings by building, stop, and route
7. Parent Mobile/Website Application
• A free app for parents should be available on Apple and Google Play.
• Parent interface for school locator and bus information shall be available through a secure web browser.
• Parents should be able to see the location of their child’s bus and projected arrival times at school and bus stops in real-time.
• Should be able to deliver push notifications to parents regarding bus-specific schedule adjustments, reminders, and other important announcements.
• Built-in communication tools should enable parents to contact the transportation staff easily.
• It is desirable to indicate whether a bus has passed a specific stop or provide the estimated time of arrival (ETA) to a stop.
• A website is preferred to allow parents to view their child’s trip progress (e.g. boarding and drop off).
Student Safety
• Identify potential student locations and the directions students come from, as walking directions to the bus stop.
• Identify and prevent any student from being required to walk across hazardous areas.
• Identify the location of registered sex offenders/predators shown on the map.
• Capability to check in and out students (i.e., student ID, RFID, barcode) when they get on and off the bus.
• Student tracking to include boarding location and exiting location with a student RFID badge.
• Ability to detect if an unauthorized student attempts to board a bus.
8. Historical Data
• Ability to automatically blur faces when sharing externally.
• Notification system for real-time alerts and escalation.
• No VPN required for remote access.
9. Maintenance and Additional Needs
• Uploads and downloads shall be scheduled nightly on weeknights and weekends.
• Ability to run reports and export data to other programs (Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.)
• Ability to provide a low battery alert to the mechanics.
• Report feature of service door opening/closing, showing stop time and location
• Monitor and report engine idle time and location.
• Ability to monitor the hard braking of the bus.
• After route completions, provide the ability to compare the actual route with the assigned route.
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: July 7, 2025