THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS
HELPING THE ENVIRONMENTGATEWAY 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 EnvironmentHelp the Environment
Gateway to EducationGateway to Education
Keep Kids SafeKeep Kids SafeSafest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
Equal AccessParental Needs
Reduced TrafficReduced Pollution & Costs
Why Ride the Bus?
Help the EnvironmentHelp the Environment
Gateway to EducationGateway to Education
Keep Kids SafeKeep Kids SafeSafest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
Equal AccessParental Needs
Reduced TrafficReduced 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
19941994 19981998 20022002 20072007 20102010
96% Reduction
5.0
0.20.2
NO
x (g
/hp-h
r)
19941994 19981998 20022002 20072007 20102010
96% Reduction
5.0
0.20.2
NO
x (g
/hp-h
r)
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
www.americanschoolbuscouncil.org
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 EnvironmentHelp the Environment
Gateway to EducationGateway to Education
Keep Kids SafeKeep Kids SafeSafest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
Equal AccessParental Needs
Reduced TrafficReduced 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 (www.crpe.org):
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 attributeof 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 EnvironmentHelp the Environment
Gateway to EducationGateway to Education
Keep Kids SafeKeep Kids SafeSafest Vehicles
Dedicated Professionals
Equal AccessParental Needs
Reduced TrafficReduced Pollution & Costs
Safe Transportation
• US Department of Transportation fatality statistics confirm that school buses are the safest form of school transportation
• The Yellow School Bus is 50 times safer than passenger cars
Sources: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting system data, compiled in 2009 by the California Association of School Transportation Officials
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
StoparmSign
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 EnvironmentHelp the Environment
Gateway to EducationGateway to Education
Keep Kids SafeKeep 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!
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