School districts today are looking for ways to provide reliable transportation for their students while dealing with the realities of needing to lower costs, streamline operations, reduce their carbon footprint, and handle challenges related to a national bus driver shortage.
At HopSkipDrive, our goal is to work collaboratively with districts, schools and other organizations to help ensure everyone has access to a safe and dependable ride to and from school — and anywhere else they need to go.
In this article, we’ll focus on some of the many ways we empower districts to meet the evolving transportation needs of students. In particular, we’ll look at how our solutions enable districts to streamline their transportation operations and optimize their current resources in order to address three main challenges:
• Filling in the gaps caused by underutilized bus routes
• Meeting the increased demand for personalized transportation offerings
• Saving time and money by optimizing routes and assets
We supplement the yellow bus – we don’t replace it
There is no single solution to the many student transportation challenges districts and schools are facing today. With increasingly diverse student needs, dispersed student populations, school-of-origin mandates, staff shortages and budgetary constraints, we believe that school transportation must be multi-modal, incorporating an array of transportation options to ensure the most effective, cost-efficient — and sustainable — plan for districts, students and families.
HopSkipDrive brings a new pool of carefully vetted drivers to school districts, providing an alternate transportation option for students who may not fit neatly on a school bus route. By using small vehicles to get these students to school, school districts can increase occupancy on existing school buses, which can help to offset school bus driver shortages and reduce student commute times.
We help districts optimize assets and routes
By using technology to maximize the number of students on board each type of available vehicle, RouteWise AI™ helps districts route vehicles in the most effective way possible.
Based on an analysis of a district’s existing vehicle mix and student base, HopSkipDrive develops a customized routing plan — delivered in a matter of days — that creates efficient routes for each student, powered by proprietary technology and a team of analysts. School transportation teams then utilize their expert knowledge of the local area and transportation operations to customize and fine-tune the routing plan.
School districts can effortlessly incorporate the routing plan using either their existing transportation system or HopSkipDrive’s RideIQ platform.
We help schools reduce the cost and carbon footprint of every ride
Replacing underutilized bus routes with multi-passenger sedan or SUV rides with HopSkipDrive offers the dual benefits of cost savings and reduced environmental impact. In fact, when there are 12 students or fewer on a bus, HopSkipDrive is a far more cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution, enabling buses to continue being used elsewhere.
Our commitment to providing transportation solutions that maximize district resources is exemplified by the recent introduction of SmartPooling in RideIQ. This feature is designed to enhance the efficiency of ride pooling effortlessly. By analyzing all existing rides, SmartPooling identifies the most optimal options for ride pooling with just a simple click.
SmartPooling is available to HopSkipDrive clients who have opted in to our student-centered pricing model, which unlocks reduced overall costs and lower emissions.
We help districts support individual student needs
School buses are a tried-and-true method of student transportation. But for various reasons, a yellow bus is not always the best option for a student — and for some, it’s not an option at all. Reasons why a small vehicle may be the best option to transport a student may include:
• A student is attending a school of choice and lives outside district boundaries
• A student is experiencing homelessness and is eligible to remain in their school of origin
• A student is living in foster care and is moved to a new placement that is outside district boundaries
• A student has a disability, and has individual requirements and needs that make private transport a better option than the school bus
• A student is participating in a career technical education program, an internship or an extracurricular activity that takes place off campus
With HopSkipDrive, small vehicles and dynamic driver availability allow districts to support individual student needs by providing a consistent option for students whose needs are not being met with traditional school buses and fixed routes.
In a study conducted in collaboration with UCLA, utilizing HopSkipDrive was shown to significantly reduce travel time for vulnerable youth, including students living in foster care and students experiencing homelessness.
We make it easy to book, change and cancel rides
HopSkipDrive partners with districts to provide comprehensive transportation solutions that are powered by technology and data, and designed to meet the needs of staff and students.
HopSkipDrive’s intuitive RideIQ platform gives school staff the ability to book regular rides, add rides, make changes in ride requirements or cancel rides within minutes.
And because we have a large, dynamic, responsive network of vetted CareDrivers, we can be flexible and responsive to student needs, guaranteeing a ride for a student with just eight hours’ notice.
HopSkipDrive is committed to helping school districts streamline their transportation operations so they can better meet — and adapt to — the ever-changing requirements of their students.
By providing a scalable driver supply, enhancing asset and route management, reducing costs and environmental impact, and accommodating unique student needs, HopSkipDrive’s reliable and efficient transportation solution benefits both districts and students alike.
