BusPlan vs BusPlanner

BusPlan is a free, open-source tool for school districts that generates optimized routes from existing student, stop, and school-location data. It seeks to minimize bus driving time and can impose a maximum student ride-time constraint. The workflow accepts CSV files for locations, students, candidate stops, stop eligibility, and garage bus limits. Preparation instructions create candidate stops within one mile of each student and calculate walking-distance eligibility. OpenStreetMap extracts are used to build OpenTripPlanner routing graphs, which supply route costs. OptaPlanner provides the constraint-solving engine. Results are CSV files listing ordered stops for each route and assigning students to route-and-stop combinations. A script calculates student ride times, and a Jupyter notebook supports route analysis. BusPlan is distributed as source code and setup instructions on GitHub under the Apache License, Version 2.0. The repository does not list a packaged desktop or mobile download or a support service.

BusPlanner is a student transportation operations platform for school districts and transportation teams. BusPlanner Pro supports route creation, editing, optimization, automation, multi-user access, and scalable routing. BusPlanner Info connects with student information systems through scheduled two-way API integration. GPS+ provides live bus tracking, reporting, student ridership information, and driver navigation. Parents can receive boarding, drop-off, delay, and change alerts through the Chipmunk app, which also shows real-time bus location. The Turns driver app supplies turn-by-turn directions and records student boardings and drop-offs with scan-in and scan-out. Portals provide parents, staff, drivers, dispatchers, and operators with routes, stops, schedules, manifests, ETAs, and delay information. Dispatch tools support real-time route reassignment, AI-powered route splitting, updated stop reports, and parent notifications. BusPlanner Pro is Windows-based; the wider suite supports cloud or self-hosted deployment, as well as Android, iOS, web, and API access. Pricing is available on request.