E26/27 ROUTE PLANNER (TRANSPORTATION)

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES 

Plans/Schedules school bus routes for students (Special Needs/General Education), APS-wide, and performs related analytical activities. Route planning/scheduling duties include maintenance and use of APS route planning and GPS software to yield alternatives and decision-support information for school bus transport (routes/stops/runs/times/buses/etc.), APS-wide, for safe timely, effective and efficient pick-up and drop-off of students consistent with school boundaries, school locations, neighborhood layouts; road network traffic patterns, times, distances, special needs of students, related geographic and demographic factors, bus fleet capacity data, and other factors. Analytic activities include analysis of route coupling options, fuel costs, short-term alternatives considering weather, construction, etc. Conducts preliminary analysis of “what-if” changes in student enrollments, school configurations and other variables, as well as performance data and performance trends, to highlight areas of problematic or suboptimum transportation performance and to help identify options for improvement,  software capabilities include bus, stop and rider tracking through Geographic Positioning System (GPS) information Performs related functions, 

SUPERVISION 

Reports to the Routing and Planning Coordinator. Work comes to the incumbent through established flows and by specific assignment, typically in terms of priorities, objectives, resources, timelines, known or anticipated problems, specific instructions, and other considerations/parameters. The incumbent carries out work in careful adherence to established procedures, makes decisions and recommendations within the scope of one's authority, keeps the supervisor informed and brings matters not covered by established procedures or other guidelines forward for guidance or resolutions Work is reviewed in process, upon completion and in other ways (such as reports) in terms of quality, quantity, timeliness, customer service, adherence to requirements and other factors. The incumbent has no employee or student supervisory responsibilities but is indirectly (through routing/scheduling of student transport and preliminary analysis of performance data) responsible for the safe, timely, and efficient transport of APS students in routine and non-routine circumstances. 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS 

This is a single position class in the Department of Facilities and Operations (Transportation   Services) that routes/schedules day-to-day K-12 student transportation, APS-wide. 

GUIDELINES 

Guidelines include but are not limited to the Federal and State laws and regulations concerning transportation of K-12 students (and younger); Arlington School Board Policies and Policy Implementation Procedures (PIPS), especially PIP 50.5-1 (Pupil Transportation) and transportation issues related to support of students with special needs under PIP 25-4.4 (Special Education Programs and Services); Department of Facilities and Operations office and program procedures; technical manuals for route planning/scheduling software; generally-accepted principles, standards and practices of K-12 bus transport route planning/scheduling; and general references, such as dictionaries and style manuals. The incumbent uses judgment in quality assuring data before entry in databases or use in reports, analyzing data, and recommending improved school bus routes/schedules, and in performing related functions.   

CONTACTS 

Contacts include but are not limited to co-workers in Transportation Services as well as managers and employees across APS (including principals and instructional staff), parents, and others; there is occasional or incidental contact with private sector personnel, Arlington County government personnel, vendors, the general public and others. The purposes of contacts includes but are not limited to routine and non-routine student transport route planning/scheduling, APS wide; responding to parent/administrator’s inquiries about student transport issues, conducting preliminary analysis of transportation performance data to identify individual driver/vehicle or cluster problems or sub-optimum cluster or fleet performance and options for improvement from route/run/cluster/fleet capability perspectives; and performing related functions. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CLASS (May not include all duties performed.)   

Schedules bus transportation (routes/runs/stops/times/sequences/buses/etc.) for all students using various computer software, mainly computer-assisted routing and GPS software and covering a multiplicity of factors, including but not limited to data on APS buses/equipment/drivers, students, neighborhoods, road networks, traffic patterns, driver availability and routes. Plans for the school year, after-school programs, summer school, field trips, other special events, etc. Adjust all schedules, as needed, on a daily, short-term, and long-term basis. Assigns students to routes, completes written schedules, and submits schedules to supervisor for review, approval, and distribution. 

Analyzes various types of data for a range of purposes. Examples: Analyzes route coupling options, mileage data, vehicle load data, fuel costs, etc. to assess costs. Analyzes short-term alternatives that consider weather, construction, etc. to make short-term adjustments or emergency changes in routes/schedules as well as daily rerouting/rescheduling. Provides input from route planning/scheduling and general analytical perspectives on student transport performance and performance improvement options in support of the supervisor. As assigned, analyzes long-term route/schedule attenuates by considering what-if changes in student enrollment levels, school configurations and other variables as well as performance data (such as vehicle loads, late stops, missed stops, and speeds) and performance trends to highlight areas of problematic or suboptimum transportation performance to help identify and suggest options for improvement. 

Tracks buses and riders using Geographic Positioning System (GPS) information (if/when equipment is installed by APS) for routine and non-routine purposes, such as emergency parent notification after an accident. 

Maintains the security of data of all types. 

Stores and retrieves information about general education and special needs students, vehicles, routes/schedules for transporting students, reroutes and reschedules transportation for students, as pertinent to conditions by specifying all parameters; may-use system in automatic mode and let system decide or make decision outside of system, after the system provides options. 

On behalf of the supervisor, may coordinate with the Office of Special Education to respond to special needs transportation requests. May develop and maintain record keeping systems and databases on Bus Drivers and Bus Attendants for students to monitor their work and support management decision-making on deployment of resources. May attend Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings where individual student needs are discussed to offer input concerning transportation alternatives, 

Maintains situational awareness (weather, traffic, roadwork, early and late school openings and closings, etc.) to make rapid, effective adjustments to transportation services in alignment with environmental conditions and instructional operations. 

Use the system to produce required and special reports. 

Quality assures data before entry into databases or use in reports. 

On behalf of the supervisor, may coordinate software issues with a vendor or the Department of Information Services. May also interface with instructional personnel regarding student data information systems. 

Stays abreast of developments directly affecting APS school bus transportation routing/scheduling, including but not limited to vehicle/fleet data, enrollment data, road network data, software standards and issues emanating from the Virginia Department of Education, the School Board, APS officials, advocates for students with special needs, and other sources; this includes short and long-term effects of scheduled and unplanned road work and school boundary planning. Notes impact and take appropriate action or notes potential impact and may prepare options for action. 

Provides basic training to co-workers in Transportation Services at authorized usage levels of pertinent system modules. Responds to internal help desk calls, coordinates with supervisor or others, as needed, and in conformance with procedures, etc. 

Uses computer and modern office software suites for communication (email), word processing, research (Internet), and other general office applications, in addition to specialized software for bus route planning/scheduling and performance analysis. 

May act as, or for, the supervisor, as assigned. 

Performs related duties, as assigned. 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

Knowledge of bus route planning and scheduling in consideration of a multiplicity of geographic, demographic and other factors (such as road networks, traffic patterns, locations, speeds, times, distances, fleet capability/availability and students with special needs); of software that assists in route planning and scheduling in consideration of such parameters; and of related bus transportation operations (such as dispatching and safe bus operation) to conduct school bus transportation planning and scheduling, APS-wide. This includes full performance user-level knowledge of and skill in, or ability to rapidly acquire this level of knowledge of and skill, the route planning/scheduling software of APS. 

Knowledge of, or ability to rapidly acquire knowledge of, road networks, traffic patterns, locations of schools (and key transport-related factors linked to them) and related geographic and demographic information pertinent to transport of K-12 (and younger) students in Arlington County, altogether, to conduct route planning and scheduling for APS student transport. 

Knowledge of, or ability to rapidly acquire knowledge of, key Federal, State and local regulations, Arlington School Board policies, and APS initiatives, guidelines and standards applying to the planning and scheduling of K-12 student transport. These include but are not limited to requirements governing transportation accessibility in general, APS PIP 50.5-1 (Pupil Transportation), and transportation issues related to support of students with special needs under  APS 254.4 (Special Education Programs and Services), altogether, in sufficient depth and breadth to comply with transportation requirem