Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper recently announced new transportation updates for Boston Public Schools at a back-to-school press conference. The updates included the introduction of a new app that will allow parents to track their children’s school buses in real-time. The app will provide information on bus assignments, track bus locations, and send alerts about delays and updated arrival times.
Additionally, the app will enable school administrators to track bus locations, account for traffic and route delays, and allow bus drivers to preview students on their assigned routes. The Zum app was piloted with 3,000 students during the summer and has since been improved based on feedback. The city also unveiled plans to increase the number of electric school buses on the road, with 39 buses currently available and 75 more to be added.
Furthermore, a new City Academy training facility in Dorchester was introduced in partnership with UMass Boston to offer Boston residents the opportunity to earn commercial driver’s licenses for free, with the aim of increasing the number of bus drivers. Nearly 300 people have already enrolled since the academy’s inception earlier this summer.
These transportation updates come as the city works to ensure a smooth start to the school year, with the goal of providing safe and reliable transportation for students and families. For more information and support, parents and guardians can visit the city’s school transportation support portal at bostonpublicschools.org/transportation.
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