1. Good for Green – Good for Yellow
NYSED Driver/Attendant Refresher
© NYSED 2010

2. School buses at their best…
Create equal access to public education
Take kids on trips
Are the safest form of vehicle transportation
Are the face of public education
Are a refuge from a abusive home
Are a safe place after a bad day at school
Protect the environment
Provide skilled driving role models

3. Goals for working together…
Understanding how thoughtful school bus operation can protect the environment (green)
Understanding how thoughtful school bus operation can promote school bus transportation (yellow)

4. Negative busing behaviors
Excessive idling
Fast starts, hard brake
Screeching turns
Driving over curbs
Following too closely
Sloppy/missed stops
Standing students
Sleeping students

5. Where do we idle? Cost? Brainstorm ideas Garage Schools Bus stops
What are we doing?
How could we change it?
Garage
Schools
Bus stops
Discipline
Intersections
“Just for a minute”
Traffic jams
Brainstorm ideas about where buses idle with the whole group. Once the brainstorming has petered out, disclose the items on the right of the slide and lead a discussion about how and why we idle at each of these locations (and others from the brainstorming) and how we could eliminate or reduce idling at each point. Obviously at some locations, such as traffic lights, we cannot avoid idling. We do not want them to turn off their buses at traffic lights. But is it possible to avoid lights? Any route changes need to be approved through the office.
Once a good list has been created, have drivers and attendants list those times that they idle on their route on their worksheet and have them assign a number of minutes to each item each day. Ask them to add up all the minutes of idling each day. 60 minutes = 1 gallon of fuel that is burned with no purpose. Depending on the size of the class, total minutes for all or by groups and estimate total wasted fuel.

6. Behavior Consequences
Reduced fuel economy
Reduced tire, brakes, suspension life
Accidents and injuries – rear-end, intersection, bus stop, non-crash
“Let me tell you what the bus did…”
Equipment failures
Tickets, job loss, arrests
“My bus driver does it!”

7. In today’s world… Cut taxes Increase walking distance
Nostalgia for neighborhood schools
3 R’s emphasis
Cut back field/athletic trips

8. Who cares what they think?
Failed/passed school budgets (so what?)
Failed/passed bus purchases/ contract approval (oh!)
Reduced/increased support for school bus transportation
Increased/decreased red light running
Perception as good/bad citizen

9. Attendants “Should I care?”
Orderly stops
Eliminate discipline stops
Keep students seated
Don’t request personal stops
Vehicle/not driver goals
Friendly reminders to driver
Eliminate sleeping children
Extra eyes intersections/blind spots

10. How’re you doing? Miles per gallon Miles on tires Miles on brake parts
Breakdowns
Vehicle incidents
Unnecessary miles

11. Where does it go? We use fuel… Getting up to speed – building momentum
Maintaining speed – sustaining momentum
We save fuel
Slowing to stop
Moderate speeds
We waste fuel…
Fast acceleration
Braking – lost momentum
Idling

12. MPG Killers
Idling = 1 gallon fuel per hour (bus garage 3-5 min. max, bus stops, discipline, schools)
1 mph increase over 50 mph = 2% mpg loss
Fast acceleration = 50% more fuel
Driving unnecessary miles for…
20 psi underinflated tires = 2% mpg loss
Clogged air filters = 10% loss
Stop and go traffic = 25% loss
Weather (snow, rain, wind) = 10-20% loss

13. Effective operating strategies
See ahead – plan ahead
Only necessary idling
Students under control
Anticipate the actions of others
Efficient loading and unloading
Don’t contribute to road rage
Adjust speed to situation
Don’t over accelerate/brake
Use cruise on trips

14. Avoid unnecessary braking
Slow to all stops
Anticipate bus stops
Self-managed students
4-5 second following distance
Monitor blind spots
Watch traffic at intersections

15. Smart operators… Reduce pollution Protect student safety
On board
At stops
Provide positive adult role models
Provide excellent driving examples
No extra stops/missed stops
No sleeping students

16. Smart operators… Conserve fuel Extend vehicle life Calm road rage
Enjoy their jobs – practice self-care
Enhance perception of school transportation
Enhance perception of public education

17. I can change the world! My/our school bus My personal car
Educate other drivers
I will…
Drivers and attendants will complete the “Commitment Card.” Collect the cards and post them in the driver’s room or dispatch office – wherever the staff will see them.
If you don’t already track mpg, start doing that as one way to track success in fuel savings. If you have GPS on your buses do an occasional check to see if unnecessary stops or off-route travel are happening.
Also track citizen complaints about school buses to document changes in public perception. Post these statistics prominently.

18. Thanks team From your Mother, the buses and the schools
Mother Earth by Jenness Cortez Perlmutter