Here’s what Boston parents need to know about transportation heading into the school year

With the school year fast approaching, Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper held a back-to-school press conference announcing new transportation updates for Boston Public Schools.

“We know that there are many, many moving pieces to building the best public school system on the planet,” Wu said. “With this kind of partnership and persistence, community engagement and energy and the right technology, we’re making some big strides as we head into this next school year.”

New app allows parents to track school buses

BPS parents will be able to track their children’s school buses in real-time using a new mobile app.

“This app allows students and families to see their bus assignments, track the bus location in real time, and receive alerts about delays and updated ETAs,” Wu said. 

With the app, school administrators can track the locations of their buses — accounting for traffic and route delays — and bus drivers can preview students on their assigned routes. Drivers will also have tablets to log attendance.

The Zum app was piloted with 3,000 students during the summer, Skipper said, and improvements were made based on feedback. 

By the end of the first week, nearly 90% of bus drivers were able to successfully use the Zum system while completing their routes, Skipper said in a committee hearing earlier this summer.

The app, downloadable on mobile devices, is available in 10 languages and allows parents and guardians to track their child’s upcoming rides.

“​​This is the most precious cargo that we have navigating our streets,” Wu said. “This will be a big step forward in how we can ensure that families have that peace of mind, real time information, and the ability to communicate.”

Added electric school buses

Wu said there will be nearly twice as many electric school buses on the road this year. 

There will be 39 in total for the start of the school year, and 75 more will be added, she said.

“I want to thank the Biden-Harris administration for helping provide such scale of funding for the district’s transition to electric school buses,” Wu said. “We have continued grant funding so that this expansion will continue with our electric fleet as we work to protect the health of our students, our communities, and our planet.”

New commercial driver’s license training facility

Wu unveiled a new City Academy training facility in Dorchester in partnership with UMass Boston, where Boston residents can earn their commercial driver’s licenses for free, in an effort to increase the number of bus drivers.

“This new training facility will allow us to have a dedicated training area to conduct a variety of behind-the-wheel training experiences all in one location that will help us promote safe driving skills,” said Justin Augustine, vice president of bus company Transdev.

Nearly 300 people have enrolled since the academy’s inception earlier this summer, and the city expects an additional 200 as a result of the new commercial driver’s license program, according to the city’s Chief of Worker Empowerment Trinh Nguyen. 

The training program comes as Boston and other school districts have struggled to maintain bus drivers, Wu said.

Skipper said this is the first year that the district is starting 100% filled with bus monitors and drivers.

“That 100% fill and above is something that very few large urban districts are able to achieve,” she said. “I’m thrilled. I’m excited for this year.”

For more information, including the city’s school transportation support portal, visit bostonpublicschools.org/transportation.