Computer applications to school board transportation planning in the Province of Ontario

This research examines the factors that are affecting the use of computerized transportation planning techniques in Ontario school boards by employing two broad strategies. The first involves a review of the relevant literature on school transportation, route optimization and innovation diffusion. The second strategy involves a mailout questionnaire dealing with transportation planning practices on Ontario school boards.;The knowledge gained through this research indicates that a combination of factors have been limiting the diffusion of computerized transportation planning techniques. The research reveals that some factors have to do with the nature of the innovation, while others with the strategies to encourage their adoption. The Ministry of Education supports an in-house minicomputer based software package called Route Management and Update System (ROMUS). ROMUS assists school boards to attain and maintain full control of their transportation system. The research found that there are both economic and non-economic factors that have contributed to the limited application of both ROMUS and microcomputer based student transportation planning techniques. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).