Methodology for GIS-Based Assessment of Rural School Transport Routes in Espírito Santo, Brazil

Given the difficulties and high costs of providing school transportation in rural areas, the UFMG School of Engineering, in partnership with the government of Espirito Santo, have developed a route optimization software. The present article presents a methodology for the assessment of existing routes using ArcGIS software. The municipality of Linhares was chosen as a case study. The results of the GIS-based analysis and the optimization demonstrate that it is possible to significantly reduce the cost, and therefore excessive spending of public funds in rural school transportation.