Development of an Annunciation System for Rural School Bus Operations

摘要

The economic strength of rural areas in America requires dependable211u001etransportation, often over sparsely settled lands in all types of weather 211u001econditions. This dependency on safe and reliable mobility is certaintly true for 211u001erural school bus operations that small children use daily for riding to and from 211u001eschool. Receiving a quality education is a necessity for the economic growth and 211u001ethe long-term sustainability of rural communities, and the local school bus 211u001etransportation system is an integral part of this education process. During 211u001eroutine rural school bus operations, these school children and their concerned 211u001eparents may frequently walk long distances to their bus stop and then wait with 211u001egreat uncertainty for their school bus to arrive. The consequences of missing the 211u001eschool bus require that a student arrive early at the stop, but this early 211u001earrival often results in considerable wait times, which are further exaggerated 211u001ewhen buses are unexplectedly delayed. This waiting exposes these children to all 211u001ekinds of inclement weather conditions, roadside safety hazards, and other 211u001epersonal safety and security threats. This research reviewed a variety of 211u001eexisting technologies in order to determine how such technologies could be cost-211u001eeffectively applied to address these important issues. A private sector system 211u001edeveloped for this purpose and field-tested during the research study period was 211u001eexamined, and a new system design was developed using a combination of off-the-211u001eshelf, multi-function components. It is recommended that one or both of these 211u001esystems be tested in Texas for accuracy, reliability, and cost-effectiveness 211u001ebefore widespread implementation can be considered.