The children’s ridesharing company launches its ride service in Phoenix, Houston, and Seattle.
Sadiah Thompson・Assistant Editor
September 6, 2019
HopSkipDrive has expanded its ride service for kids to Phoenix, Ariz.; Houston, Texas; and Seattle, Wash. Photo courtesy HopSkipDrive
2 min to read
HopSkipDrive has expanded its ride service for kids to Phoenix, Ariz.; Houston, Texas; and Seattle, Wash. Photo courtesy HopSkipDrive
Children’s ridesharing company HopSkipDrive has expanded its service to three more cities.
HopSkipDrive provides app-based customized transportation services for children and their families. That includes getting kids to and from school, sports practices, and other after-school activities.
Ad Loading...
The company has been operating in parts of California and Colorado, and recently expanded its service to cover northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., region. Now, schools and families in Phoenix, Ariz.; Houston, Texas; and Seattle, Wash., can schedule rides through the HopSkipDrive app.
“We are deeply passionate about removing mobility-related barriers for kids, and we help transportation directors make it easy and cost-effective to get students to school safely and on time,” said Joanna McFarland, co-founder and CEO of HopSkipDrive. “When kids don’t have to worry about how they’re getting to school, they show up calm and ready to learn. They thrive.”
When parents book a ride for their child, via the HopSkipDrive app or website, it shows them a profile of the driver, including a photo. Parents can also communicate special instructions to drivers and receive progress notifications when their child is picked up or dropped off.
In addition to parents and families, HopSkipDrive has partnered with more than 150 schools and districts to create customized student transportation solutions for students. The app allows administrators to book, edit, and monitor rides, and also aims to reduce the district’s transportation costs, shorten student commute times, and improve educational outcomes, according to the company.
“HopSkipDrive is not only 60% less expensive than our previous car service solution, but far more reliable,” said Mike Hush, the director of transportation for Littleton (Colo.) Public Schools. “We had worked with HopSkipDrive for only a few weeks before we quadrupled the number of students riding with CareDrivers.”
Stop bidding everything and try a simpler way. Here's how cooperative purchasing can streamline purchases while maintaining compliance. Sourcewell breaks down the process in this episode of The Route, sponsored by IC Bus.
The alternative transportation company expands its services to traditional yellow buses with the launch of a new division focused on helping school districts optimize their routes.
Roberts, 35, serves as the lead IT application engineer for vehicle electrification at First Student, where he helps shape scalable, real-world EV infrastructure to support student transportation.
Swazer, 29, serves as director of transportation at Puyallup School District, where he champions student wellbeing and inspires the next generation of industry leaders.
Dubas, 38, serves as sales manager and safety advocate at IMMI, where she advances school bus occupant protection through industry education, OEM collaboration, and proactive safety policy efforts.
Moore, 32, grew up around the school bus, leading him to the classroom and eventually inspiring high-performing teams while bringing operations in house (twice).
Baran, 38, serves as transportation supervisor at Odyssey Charter School in Delaware, where he leads daily operations with a focus on safety and professional growth.
Maybee, 36, leads transportation operations for Denver Public Schools, where he is advancing equity, efficiency, and cross-department collaboration to improve student access.
Higgins, 38, serves as director of industry engagement at TAT (Truckers Against Trafficking), where she equips school transportation professionals with the tools to recognize and report human trafficking.