THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT GATEWAY TO EDUCATION KEEPING KIDS SAFE

The Importance of School Buses The nation’s fleet of 480,000 Yellow School Buses provides safe and environmentally friendly transportation to 26 million children every day There are more school buses than planes, trains and transit buses combined Every school bus reduces traffic by 36 cars

Why is the Yellow School Bus So Important?

Why Ride the Bus? Help the Environment Gateway to Education Keep Kids Safe Safest Vehicles Dedicated Professionals Equal Access Parental NeedsReduced Traffic Reduced Pollution & Costs

What if? What if the school buses that are on the road today weren’t on the road?

School Buses keep an estimated 17.3 million cars off roads surrounding schools each morning Carpooling to school creates –Unnecessary vehicle idling –Higher emissions –Wasted fuel and money –Safety concerns What if the school buses that are on the road today weren’t on the road? What if?

School Bus Fuel Savings For 180 day school year, National fuel savings: 2.3 BILLION gallons 6.0 BILLION dollars 1 Bus = 36 Cars = 300,000 Tankers = 27 Super Tankers

Equal Access: A Step Toward Academic Achievement Parents Agree… Without the yellow school bus service, it’s very likely that a large number of students would be absent more often Parents Agree… If bus service ceased, the student achievement of millions of school children would probably decline Based on ASBC Research The school bus is the only reliable form of transportation for many students, and without it, the ability of all students to access the education system is limited Parents Agree… Convenience and cost savings are key attributes of the school bus

The Yellow School Bus is a Gateway to Education We all want children to stay in school All children deserve an education If the Yellow School Bus is at risk, the opportunity for all children to access education is at risk

Safe Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation statistics confirm that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school In particular, students are 44 times more likely to arrive at school alive if they take the bus rather than if they drive or ride with friends Reference: Special Report 269, The Relative Risks of School Travel” published by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, 2002

Safe Vehicles School buses are designed specifically to protect students on and off the bus with special safety features not available on any other vehicle Safety features of school buses include: –Color –Size and height –Reinforced sides –Flashing red lights –Cross view mirrors –Crossing & stop sign arms Size & Height Reinforced Sides Flashing Red lights Crossview Mirrors Stoparm Sign Walkgate

Why is the Yellow School Bus Important? Help the Environment Gateway to Education Keep Kids Safe Safest way to transport children to and from school Equal access to education for all children and the pollution they produce Reduce the number of cars

This is what it’s all about!