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

The Importance of School Buses Yellow School Buses support academic achievement with equal access to educational opportunities School bus drivers are the first and last student contact each day

The Importance of School Buses Competition for other educational resources presents a significant challenge So why spend those dollars on school buses?

The Importance of School Buses The National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Department of Transportation and other authorities agree that school buses are the safest form of transportation for getting children to and from school

The Importance of School Buses Unfortunately, a significant portion of children get to and from school by riding in individual passenger cars As the nation looks for solutions to environmental and traffic congestion problems, we can make significant headway by promoting greater use of the Yellow School Bus

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

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

Environmental Benefits The overall benefit of the Yellow School Bus to society is huge in terms of: Money Fuel Consumption Pollution

What If…. What if the school buses that are on the road today weren’t on the road? Even though individual passenger cars are more fuel efficient than ever, they pale in comparison to the overall efficiency of the school bus

Safer for the Environment New diesel engine standards make today’s buses 96% cleaner than buses manufactured in 1994 NOx is an exhaust element that contributes to acid rain, smog and greenhouse gas levels

Fuel Calculator The American School Bus Council has prepared a community fuel calculator based on the following estimates: –480,000 buses in operation –12,000 miles annually for each bus –54 students transported by each bus –1.5 students per car (car-pool) –7 mpg buses –20 mpg cars –The average per gallon cost of fuel based on figures from June 2010 = Gasoline $2.64 and Diesel Fuel = $2.60

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

Use the Fuel Calculator For Your Community Use the ASBC Community Fuel Calculator and your community data (state, district) to quantify the Community Benefit of the buses on the road today and your share of those savings The more you choose the Yellow School Bus, the more you save

Carpool Congestion Carpooling to school creates unnecessary vehicle idling Resulting in more emissions, wasted fuel & safety concerns

Traffic Reduction School Buses keep an estimated 17.3 million cars off roads surrounding schools each morning

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’s the Problem? Ridership and accessibility to school students is threatened School boards increasingly view school bus transportation as expendable because it “takes money away from the classroom” There is no classroom if students cannot get to school Service cutbacks “in the news” recently: –Eliminating transportation of students close to schools –Consolidating bus stops and increasing walk distance to stops –Eliminating transportation to schools of choice (magnet programs, etc.) –Eliminating field trips and after-school activities –Charging fees for bus service –Transferring students to public transit

“The era of the yellow school bus transporting most children to their neighborhood school is probably already over” “AASA Survey Finds Rising Fuel, Energy Costs, Stressing School Budgets” “Capitol protest aims at proposed school busing cuts” “Busing cuts put kids in jeopardy” “School buses a vanishing breed in county.” Yellow School Bus Headlines

“Drivers of Choice: Parents, Transportation, and School Choice” –“With the rise of expanded school choice options, such as charter and magnet schools, children may now live farther away from the school they attend.” –“The findings demonstrate that transportation is indeed a barrier to choice for many low- and moderate-income families.” Excerpts from study by the Centers on Reinventing Public Education, University of Colorado and University of Washington, July 2009 ( ):

Equal Access – Eliminating the Barrier

Parental Needs: Savings, Convenience and Safety Parents Agree… It is more beneficial for their children to ride the bus to school in order to save money on the rising cost of gas Parents Agree… Convenience is a key attribute of the school bus Parents Agree… That school buses help them save money on transportation costs while also being a safe mode of transportation Based on ASBC Research

Supporting Access to Education

Equal Access: A Step Toward Academic Achievement Parents Agree… The yellow school bus is an important factor in making student achievement possible 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 performance 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…

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

A Vital Part of the Educational System

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

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 Reinforced Sides Flashing Red lights Crossview Mirrors Size & Height Reinforced Sides Flashing Red lights Crossview Mirrors Stoparm Sign Walkgate

Dedicated Professionals School bus drivers receive specialized training in: –Student behavior management –Loading and unloading –Security and emergency medical procedures. Drivers participate in pre-employment and random drug/alcohol testing, as well as frequent driving record checks School bus technicians receive specialized training, participate in national competitions and follow strict maintenance programs

In Summary…..

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!