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
Reduced Pollution & Costs
Reduced Traffic
Gateway to Education
Equal Access
Parental Needs
Keep Kids Safe
Safest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
Why Ride the Bus?
Help the Environment
Reduced Pollution & Costs
Reduced Traffic
Gateway to Education
Equal Access
Parental Needs
Keep Kids Safe
Safest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
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?
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
School Bus Fuel Savings
For 180 day school year, National fuel savings:
2.3 BILLION gallons
6.0 BILLION dollars
= 300,000 Tankers
= 27 Super Tankers
1 Bus = 36 Cars
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
www.americanschoolbuscouncil.org
Why Ride the Bus?
Help the Environment
Reduced Pollution & Costs
Reduced Traffic
Gateway to Education
Equal Access
Parental Needs
Keep Kids Safe
Safest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
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
Equal Access: A Step Toward Academic Achievement
Based on ASBC Research
Parents Agree…
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
Parents Agree…
If bus service ceased, the student achievement of
millions of school children would probably decline
Parents Agree…
Without the yellow school bus service, it’s very likely that a large number of
students would be absent more often
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
Why Ride the Bus?
Help the Environment
Reduced Pollution & Costs
Reduced Traffic
Gateway to Education
Equal Access
Parental Needs
Keep Kids Safe
Safest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
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
Size &
Flashing
Red lights
Height
•
Safety features of school buses include:
– Color
– Size and height
– Reinforced sides
Crossview
Mirrors
– Flashing red lights
– Cross view mirrors
Walkgate
– Crossing & stop sign arms
Reinforced
Sides
Stoparm
Sign
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
Why is the Yellow School Bus Important?
Help the Environment
• Reduce the number of cars
and the pollution they produce
Gateway to Education
• Equal access to education
for all children
Keep Kids Safe
• Safest way to transport
children to and from school
This is what it’s all about!