When he’s not spending time outdoors in the woods or on the water, Trey Stow, director of transportation operations for Fulton County Schools, Georgia, is keeping his bus drivers ahead of the curve – literally – using new technology. Stow’s district participated in a first-of-its-kind test using connected technology to optimize traffic signals to give school buses the priority for green lights.
This spring, Fulton County Schools equipped two school buses — a diesel IC Bus and a propane Blue Bird — with connected vehicle-to-everything (CV2X) transmitters supplied by Applied Information and tracked green light priority performance at 62 intersections in the community of Alpharetta.
In a recent webinar presentation on the project, Stow said the technology could help address school bus driver shortage issues, since it makes routes more efficient and safer. In this interview, School Bus Fleet asked Stow to share more about the project.
1. What made Fulton County Schools choose to experiment with the connected technology to optimize traffic signals?
We first had talks about vehicle-to-vehicle connected technology. It started when we worked with Applied and Audi to send communication to an Audi car letting the motorist know when a school bus was stopped ahead loading students. During those talks, we discussed signalized intersections, and it became apparent that the same technology that was used on emergency vehicles could be used for school buses but just tweaked a little on the programing. After the Audi project, we tested the priority side of the technology at intersections.
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2. What feedback have you received from the school bus drivers involved in the study?
The two drivers involved in the study have fallen in love with it. They found that student behavior was better due to the bus staying in motion more often than not. They felt that they were more productive during the route, and this allowed for them to assist in their area to cover other routes due to the increased efficiency.
3. What surprised you when you received the findings of the study?
The whole study became a surprise. I knew we would see an increase in fuel mileage and a deduction in route time but was not expecting the results we received. Fuel mileage increased in our diesel by 13% and propane by almost 7%. Our route time increased overall by almost 14%. This was huge. When paired with the correct runs, this could allow for one bus to do a double back and still have the students to school on time. In time, the fuel savings could pay for the technology, but funds would have to be available up front to proceed.
4. What things should districts consider before utilizing this kind of technology?
A district would need to communicate with the municipalities within their area. Signalized intersections have to be equipped with the priority technology for it to work, and agreements with the municipalities must be made. The technology may already be deployed within the infrastructure, but they might not be aware. It starts with open communication. We were very fortunate to have a City of Alpharetta that is very forward thinking to allow this study to take place and see the positive impact it could have on their traffic.
5. What would it take for Fulton County Schools to use this technology more broadly?
Funding to move forward would be the biggest hurdle, along with all the other municipalities that are encompassed within the district to deploy the technology within their infrastructure at intersections.
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