Via Student Transit
Via Student Transit was a platform that enabled school districts to offer transportation services for students requiring special travel accommodations.
Client Context
Few things are as recognizable as yellow school buses. We see them every day on city streets as they zigzag across neighborhoods, picking up children. Additionally, the sight of school buses brings back deep memories for many, as they were the setting of uncontrollable bouts of laughter and cherished moments. Primary education can't happen without students being able to reach their schools, making student transportation efforts some of the most critical duties undertaken by school districts.
While iconic, school buses are far from perfect. Their large size and limited maneuverability make them unsuitable for certain geographic areas, especially those with mountainous terrain or hazardous roads. Moreover, their slow speed limits their range, making school buses unsuitable for students who live far away from their schools. Finally, school bus routes are often designed to be consistent day to day, for the convenience of both drivers and students who need to remember their bus and its route. This constraint frequently impacts children with special needs who commute to and from multiple locations.
All of these reasons lead to unfortunate situations nationwide where certain groups of students cannot be served by their school district buses. This lack of service often places extraordinary strain on caregivers, who must put in extra effort to get their children to school. Therefore, it's no surprise that students in these situations often don't enjoy school and have lower attendance compared to their peers.
To address this service gap affecting both children and caregivers in communities, Via developed Via Student Transit. Via Student Transit (VST) is a specialized branch of Via microtransit services, focusing on transporting children to and from school. VST provides school districts and caregivers with a specialized web app that allows them to track students' rides and arrange pickups and drop-offs from multiple locations.
Project Overview
I was responsible for supporting the deployment and growth of Via Student Transit services. This involved efforts in software development, vehicle readiness, and operational workflow creation. Services varied in size and scope, with VST serving students across the country with diverse needs from elementary through high school.
Unique Factors / Challenges
Unique aspects of the Via Student Transit implementation projects included:
Varying student needs
Via Student Transit was designed to serve children with diverse needs—students traveling with medical companions, ESL learners, students in rural or otherwise hard-to-reach areas, and more. Each VST deployment required close collaboration with school districts to customize services to meet their specific student requirements.
A hybrid vehicle sourcing model
VST services use a combination of vehicles provided by Via and drivers themselves. This differs from traditional Via services, which depend solely on Via-provided vehicles. This hybrid approach required unique operational practices and hardware tailored to accommodate different driver vehicles.
The Caregiver Web App
The Caregiver Web App is a custom-built tool created specifically for Via Student Transit. It offers caregivers real-time GPS tracking of their students' locations, allowing them to monitor arrivals from pickup to drop-off. Additionally, students with unstable housing or support situations can access various schools, appointments, and extracurricular activities as needed.
Driver Acquisition
VST employed a more rigorous and specialized driver vetting process. Given the sensitive nature of student transportation, VST drivers underwent more comprehensive background checks and training to ensure they could handle student-specific situations.
Achievements & Outcome
Enhanced student transit coverage, allowing school districts to safely and reliably transport every student to school.
Significant cost savings for school districts by eliminating inefficient and impractical bus routes.
Improved student performance, with VST increasing classroom attendance and reducing daily commute times for thousands of students nationwide.
