Research

SURTC Proposes School Bus Routing Program

With energetic kids, unpredictable weather and sometimes questionable roads, getting kids to school in North Dakota has always been a challenge. That challenge is growing as the number of school-age children is shrinking while the distance between them is growing.

"Bus routes are getting increasingly complex," says Jill Hough, SURTC director. "But there is continued pressure on schools to provide busing that is safe, timely and efficient."

To answer that need, SURTC is proposing a school bus routing support program to help schools develop and refine their bus routes.

"In many schools there is a lack of expertise, technology and time to address routing issues. Software is available, but it is also complex," Hough says. "We're proposing that a more efficient approach would be to centralize some of that expertise here and provide school districts affordable assistance in addressing routing issues."

The program would:

• Analyze North Dakota school district routing issues to identify widespread problems and opportunities.
• Establish a "help center" to assist school districts with problems throughout the school year.
• Develop school bus routes to maximize efficiency.
• Explore policy issues associated with school transportation funding.

In addition the program would look at ways to use the transportation capacity of school districts to serve broader communities. "As the population ages, transportation is becoming an important issue in rural areas. There may be ways that agencies can partner with school districts to use school vehicles to serve other needs," Hough says.

"The proposal is still in development," Hough says. SURTC officials plan to present the proposal to state officials this spring.

Staff

Two Join SURTC Staff

SURTC recently added a research fellow and a communications coordinator to its staff.

Jon Mielke will be located at Bismarck State College where he will teach classes in a transportation program being developed jointly with the SURTC, the Bismarck State College and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. In addition to developing the transportation education program in Bismarck, Mielke will serve as a research fellow with SURTC and the Advanced Traffic Analysis Center, both programs within NDSU's Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute. He will conduct research on transportation and traffic issues in the state.

Mielke retired earlier this year after 23 years with the North Dakota Public Service Commission. He served as executive secretary of that agency since 1994 and was also director of the licensing division overseeing licensing of elevators, grain buyers, hay buyers, auctioneers, and auction clerks. The licensing division also enforces state regulations relating to railroads.

Originally from Grafton, Mielke holds a bachelor's degree in business and a master's degree in public administration, both from the University of North Dakota. Early in his career, he worked with the North Dakota Highway Department and the City of Minot dealing with transportation and traffic issues.

Tom Jirik was recently hired as communication coordinator. He has been at NDSU for eight years as communications specialist with the agriculture communication department. He holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication and agricultural economics from NDSU.

A native of Mahnomen, Minn., Jirik also worked at Iowa State University as a writer and editor for the College of Agriculture. Before that, he was a newspaper reporter.

He will work with administration and staff within SURTC and other programs of the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute to enhance marketing and communication efforts.