Georgia universities use app technology to improve campus transit, safety

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Several Georgia universities are working to keep their students safe, with an app to help them track transit buses. The new technology gives students a more precise look at when the next bus will arrive.

When Hurricane Matthew threatened schools on the Georgia coast, the app even helped students evacuate Savannah more seamlessly.

Savannah College of Art and Design freshman Camerun Hannah loves the idea of using the TransLoc app to track school shuttles around campus. "That could be very helpful for anybody that needs a bus schedule," says Camerun.

SCAD, Emory University, and Georgia State University are just a few of the schools using the latest technology to give students a more precise and safer ride to class. "Safety-wise, I see it as a big help for anyone that's worried about walking down to SCAD," Camerun says.

"One of the most important things for universities is to provide a great and also safe experience and environment for their students," says TransLoc CEO Doug Kaufman.

The app allows users to see live bus routes, helping to take the guesswork out of transit. There's even a "saferide" feature, where students can press a button and hail a shuttle directly to their location during the overnight hours .

"Students can feel confident that they know where the bus is, when it's coming. They can get arrival predictions, to know the minute the bus will arrive to pick them up, so they don't have to stand outside by themselves," adds Kaufman

When Hurricane Matthew approached the Georgia coast, SCAD sent buses from its Atlanta campus to Savannah to help with the evacuation. TransLoc was able to merge the two systems, giving parents the chance to watch their child's bus evacuate.

"We were able to make that work and provide, again, a really good experience not just for students this time, but also for parents, to feel confident that their students were being taken care of by the university," Kaufman says.

Right now TransLoc is serving 1.5 million students across 87 U.S. colleges.