Newspapers / Elon University Student Newspaper / April 28, 1988, edition 1 / Page 8
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8 THE PENDULUM Op-Ed Thursday, April 28, 7988 Legislature funds bus routing system; students’ rides to be shorter, cheaper From the North Carolina General Assembly Is Johnny spending too much time waiting for a school bus that never seems to come? Is little Jane spending too much time on a school bus that seems to have chosen the long way home? Not to worry: the Legislature has come to their rescue. The General Assembly recently appropriated $1.1 million to fund a new tool to help create efficient, practical busing routes, and it s soon to be available to all school units throughout the state. Called the Transportation Infor mation Management System (TIMS), the tool is a computeriz ed mapping system which will take the addresses of the students eligi ble to ride school buses and elec tronically combine and re-combine them, drawing maps which make the best use of available drivers and buses. The system’s advanced software allows for electronic “cutting” and “pasting” of possible routes. Similar systems are used in major metropolitan areas to route public transportation and in the private sector to deliver mail, packages, and to pick up garbage. Twelve school units began using the tool during 1986-87. Twenty- seven additional units have com mitted to begin the program dur ing 1988-89. The system could be in use throughout North Carolina by 1991-92. With the federally-mandated switch to adult bus drivers and this year’s dramatic expansion of remedial summer school pro grams, public school transportation costs could skyrocket. When add ed to the uncertainty over Middle East fuel supplies and generally rising fuel costs, cost-effective routes and schedules become all the more critical. Improved efficiency will result in future savings to the state and to the local units by requiring less fuel, fewer repairs to existing buses and eventually, fewer school buses. Noaxa CKiecHHA ftJ£LJ£, S ir When the TIMS system is in place throughout North Carolina, it could reduce pupil transportation costs by 10 to 20 percent. During the current year, state-funded transportation costs were approx imately $115 million. In addition, the mapping system should reduce the amount of time students spend on and wait for buses. It also will allow school ad ministrators to be able to create and maintain bus routes more quickly and more easily than school administrators now can alone. North Carolina has 13,000 public school buses (the eighth largest fleet in the nation) which travel approxiamtely 660,000 miles every school day and transport more than 700,(X)0 students. Note: Alamance County is one of the 27 to begin using the TIMS system for the 1988-89 school year. R E S E RVE OFFICERS' TRAINING CORPS Ui Mid tion lopl 9S7 egia Th ion ud Ue OTl] irst join ind few brd n iho ich Me; ■oui 1st K iT lyd TOUR FIRST STEP TOWARD SUCCESS IS THE ONE YOU COULD TAKE THIS SUMMER. At Army ROTC Camp ChaUenge, you’ll learn what it takes to succeed - in college and in life. YouH build self-confidence and devek>p youi leadership potential. Plus you can also qualify to earn an Army Officer^ commission when you graduate. Army ROTC Camp Challenge. It may be just what you need to reach the top. ARMY ROTC THE SMARTEST COLLEGE COURSE YOU CAN TAKE. t- CONTACT: Charlie Jackson (CPT) or Mark Bowers (CPT) at (919) 584-2278, 2555
Elon University Student Newspaper
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April 28, 1988, edition 1
8
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