Safe, reliable rides to and from school now available in Pittsburgh, expanding transportation options for students

HopSkipDrive, a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, equity, and care, today announced a partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools, growing the supplemental transportation company’s footprint and offering safe and reliable rides for students this upcoming academic year.

HopSkipDrive currently partners with more than 600 school districts, government agencies, and nonprofits nationwide, supporting over 10,000 schools. HopSkipDrive’s Pittsburgh expansion grows its operating area in Pennsylvania, where it currently partners with Philadelphia-area districts and schools, including Baldwin-Whitehall School District.

HopSkipDrive’s marketplace arranges care-centered transportation, connecting kids, older adults, or anyone needing extra support to highly-vetted caregivers on wheels — CareDrivers — who are parents, grandparents, nurses, babysitters, and other experienced caregivers from the community. CareDrivers bring – with a minimum of five years of caregiving experience – undergo a 15-point certification process and rigorous vetting.

Here’s how HopSkipDrive works:

• School districts identify students to receive rides from CareDrivers and inform parents and caregivers.
• Transportation officials will then arrange rides directly through HopSkipDrive’s online platform.
• Once a ride has been booked, HopSkipDrive delivers ride details to organizers, parents and caregivers. All details, and real-time ride tracking, is available in the HopSkipDrive app.
• Riders and CareDrivers verify one another using a multi-factor verification system using birthdays, names, and code words, for an added layer of security before beginning the ride.
• Parents and caregivers of selected students will receive updates, including pickup times, live ride tracking, and CareDriver information, via text message and through the HopSkipDrive app.

“We’re thrilled to be launching in Pittsburgh this year, to ensure that school districts and families have access to the reliable rides HopSkipDrive is known for across the country, as well as our industry-leading technology and unparalleled approach to safety,” said Joanna McFarland, CEO and co-founder of HopSkipDrive. “We know school transportation leaders are looking for additional solutions that offer safe, reliable transportation. CareDrivers are experienced caregivers from the Pittsburgh community who undergo thorough vetting to ensure that children will be safe in their back seats.”

“Pittsburgh Public Schools is excited to partner with HopSkipDrive, especially to support our students in need of more individualized transportation, including those who experience homelessness, are in the foster care system, or are on individualized education plans,” said Megan Patton, Director of Pupil Transportation at Pittsburgh Public Schools. “We know no two students are the same, and our transportation team works hard to identify the right transportation option for these most vulnerable students. With nearly 20,000 students, we are continually looking for innovative and safe partners like HopSkipDrive, who, with expertise and experience, can deliver a supplemental solution to get kids to and from school safely.”

“We take pride in providing a dependable and trustworthy student transportation solution to schools and districts, and we’re looking forward to partnering with Pittsburgh Public Schools,” McFarland continued. “A safe, reliable ride to school helps students reach their educational goals."

Districts interested in partnering with HopSkipDrive can sign up here for a free consultation. Anyone interested in becoming a CareDriver in the Pittsburgh area can apply on HopSkipDrive’s website.

About HopSkipDrive

HopSkipDrive is a technology company that solves complex transportation challenges where there is a heightened need for safety, equity, and care. HopSkipDrive is modernizing the $30 billion school transportation industry in two ways: HopSkipDrive’s marketplace arranges care-centered transportation to supplement school buses and existing transportation options by connecting kids to highly-vetted caregivers on wheels, such as grandparents, babysitters, and nurses. HopSkipDrive also builds software and offers advisory services that solve the biggest transportation challenges facing schools and school districts around the country, including budget cuts, bus driver shortages, and reaching climate goals. HopSkipDrive currently partners with school districts across 13 states, supporting more than 10,000 schools. More than three million rides over 61 million miles have been completed through HopSkipDrive since the company was founded in 2014 by three working mothers.

About The Pittsburgh Public School District

The Pittsburgh Public School District is the largest of 43 school districts in Allegheny County and second largest in Pennsylvania. The District serves approximately 20,000 students in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. The Pittsburgh Public Schools offers students a variety of options and opportunities that will help them succeed in school and prepare them for whatever comes next in college, career and life. Visit https://www.pghschools.org.

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