Transportation staff demonstrate BusRide routing and parent-tracking app for Bedford City buses

Stephanie Taber, Bedford City’s transportation supervisor, and Danielle Henderson, a transportation specialist, presented BusRide as a modern, all-in-one routing solution the district is reviewing for safer and more efficient operation. Taber said the goals are to give drivers easy navigation, streamline office routing and let parents reliably track buses and receive real-time stop information.

Taber described the system’s components — an admin web portal, a driver app and a parent app — and said each driver will log in with a code on a tablet so their route appears on that device. "This app allows us to actually hear turn by turn direction," Taber said, describing how drivers and substitute drivers would follow the route without handling printed packets. She said routes update "every 2 seconds" and the vendor package includes free hardware replacement after four years and "unlimited training and support" through a dedicated concierge.

Henderson and Taber described how the product can show a street view so routing staff can place stops in safer, visible locations and avoid routing students to potentially dangerous pickup sites such as dimly lit corners or areas blocked by bushes. Taber said Chardon schools — which the district contacted during vendor review — reported that their vendor response time was much faster than Bedford’s current vendor, with Chardon reporting responses "within the hour" and the BusRide concierge responding while staff watched a live test.

Taber answered practical questions about tablet mounting and rollout: the tablets will be mounted on a shelf near the gauges and out of the driver’s direct eye line, and she confirmed each district bus will receive a device; drivers can log into any bus with their code and their route will appear on that vehicle’s tablet if they transfer buses.

Taber stressed the system’s potential operational benefits (faster route creation, streamlined mid-day and field-trip routing, parent notifications) and acknowledged that while real-time systems are not flawless, the vendor’s concierge support is available to troubleshoot issues. The presentation included a 49-second product video demonstration and staff noted the district had options to train users and leverage ESSER funds for related purchases.