In an effort to improve the efficiency of school bus services, the city of Boston is set to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) technology to enhance public transit systems.
The aim is to reduce the amount of time students spend on buses, allowing them to either focus more on learning at school or enjoy much-needed rest at home.
AI systems have proven effective in other regions, such as Portland, Oregon, where the implementation of AI for prioritizing public transit buses at intersections has helped trim down travel times significantly.
Last year, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) collaborated with the City of Boston to test AI technology, targeting two heavily trafficked bus routes along Brighton Avenue to reduce travel time.
Boston’s initiative appears to be the first of its kind for a city of its size, according to local officials and experts.
The project will be funded by a $50,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of their 2025 Mayors Challenge, which supports innovation in government across 50 cities worldwide.
Among these, 25 cities, including Boston, will receive an additional $1 million in January to further develop their projects.
Peter Furth, a professor in the College of Engineering at Northeastern University, emphasized the potential impact of the new AI system on transportation reliability.
He stated that successful implementation could shave several minutes off each school bus route, which can lead to significant cumulative time savings throughout the school year.
“If we can eliminate major delays, it enhances the reliability of the bus services,” Furth explained, noting that buses that finish on time are likely to commence subsequent routes without delay.
In Portland, a similar AI initiative was able to reduce travel time by approximately six minutes on a nine-mile bus route. This service regularly accommodates about 15,000 passengers daily, according to Peter Koonce, a transportation official from Portland.
“It’s about reducing service costs for our users,” Koonce said. “With adequate management and control of the technology, this approach can be beneficial for everyone.”
Transportation experts, including Furth and Stacy Thompson, former executive director of Livable Streets Alliance, have advised that while this technology is promising, it is not a comprehensive solution to Boston’s enduring school transportation challenges.
They pointed out that an AI system alone cannot eliminate traffic jams or obstacles such as delivery vans blocking travel lanes.
Thompson described the AI technology as merely one tool that can be effectively used alongside other strategies, such as establishing dedicated bus lanes and synchronizing school timings, to alleviate the pressures faced by school bus fleets.
“This technology sits as one of many tools to address the larger issues at hand,” she noted. “It shouldn’t be considered a cure-all.”
Boston has previously sought to enhance the punctuality of its school bus fleet, which currently transports more than 20,000 students across 640 buses and makes approximately 3,000 daily runs at over 10,000 stops.
In 2017, the Boston Public Schools (BPS) attempted to implement a computer model crafted by MIT researchers to improve bus arrival times.image source from：bostonglobe
