Category: Transportation

Maine DOE announces update of school transportation software

The following Priority Notice was sent on Friday, June 10

A new and important release of Transfinder school transportation software is scheduled for Saturday June 18.  The upgrade maintenance window will begin at 4:00 p.m. and continue to 4:00 a.m.  Please be sure to sign off the system for this update. During that time, Routfinder Pro, Infofinder le and Viewfinder modules will be updated to Version 12.2.

Maine DOE provides free student routing and transportation operations software to all Maine public schools and this update is free to Maine public school districts. The software is called Transfinder which offers several modules that include school bus fleet maintenance, field trip management, school transportation communication, emergency preparedness planning and redistricting analysis, as well as bus routing – all with the ability to access data anytime and anywhere.

Maine public school districts that would like to begin using this free transportation software may contact our Maine Transfinder account executive Angela Vitti directly by email at Avitti@transfinder.com  to get started.

Case studies about how some Maine schools that have benefited by using Transfinder can be found on the Maine DOE school transportation Transfinder web page.

Details about the transportation software can be found on the Transfinder website.

If you have any questions about the upgrade, contact Maine Transfinder Account Executive Angela Vitti at Avitti@transfinder.com or 800-373-3609.

For information about the Maine DOE school transportation software program, contact Transportation and Facilities Administrator Pat Hinckley at pat.hinckley@maine.gov or 624-6886.

OSHA issues final rule on injury reporting

On the school transportation front, the following is a message from OSHA.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued its Final Rule, which requires employers to submit injury and illness records electronically. The directive also stipulates that once the reports are filed, OSHA posts them to the internet.

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Maine DOE invites school transportation teams to attend regional safety conferences beginning next week

Safety is priority one in school transportation. This commitment to safety is why Maine school transportation traditionally has one of the best safety records in the nation.  Annual training is the foundation of safety.  Each spring school transportation teams participate in six statewide regional school transportation safety conferences.

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Transportation departments invited to participate in national safety survey

While school buses remain incredibly safe, students are most vulnerable when they are outside the bus and within in the danger zone. This is why Maine school bus drivers have been invited to collect survey data about illegal passing to help improve safety countermeasures at the state or national level.

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EPA rebates will help Fairfield and Gray purchase clean diesel school buses

The following news release was issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s New England Regional Office on March 4.

Two school districts in Maine will receive a total of $40,000 to help pay for new school buses that emit less pollution than the older buses the districts now use.

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Students recognize National School Bus Safety Week

Students and schools across the nation are recognizing 2015 National School Bus Safety Week Oct. 19-23. The theme for this year’s safety week is “Be Smart – Be Seen, I wait in a safe place!” In Maine, the safety week program culminates with a poster contest award ceremony and tea at the Blaine House for students and their families.

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School bus replacement and retrofit rebate program

The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s National Clean Diesel Campaign (NCDC) is now accepting applications for the 2015 School Bus Replacement and Retrofit Funding opportunity. This is a rebate program to replace and retrofit older school buses in both the public and private fleets. The total funding for this opportunity is approximately $7 million which is up from the $3 million in awards last year, the second year of the campaign. Applications are being accepted now through Oct. 30.

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