Expanding school bus ridership

Some New York City kiddies who live within a half-mile of their school can hop back on the yellow bus.
Beginning this school semester, parents of kids in kindergarten, first- and second-grades can fill out an application for the free bus to pick them up.
“Some parents enjoy taking their children to school, and we encourage this and we will continue to issue MetroCards to these children. However, children who are below the third grade have the option of taking yellow bus service,” said Margie Feinberg, a spokesperson from the city’s Department of Education (DOE). “They will continue to receive the MetroCards. Their parents need to request yellow bus service if they want to change it.”
Feinberg added that the change would only affect kids who live within half-mile of school - kids who get half-fare MetroCards - and whose school already has yellow bus service. The DOE does not yet know the number of additional kids who will use bus service because it depends on the number of parents who sign up.
In January, the rides for kids who live within a half-mile of their schools were suspended as part of massive school bus cuts citywide. The pint-sized commuters who live within half-mile were handed MetroCards to take city buses and trains, and those who live within a quarter-mile were told that they were on their own.
Citywide, 114 bus routes were originally slashed, according to the DOE.
A month after instituting the changes - and amid criticism from local politicians and parents - the city restored 16 routes, bringing the total number cut to 98. In addition, the quarter-mile rule that prevented children from the reorganized bus stops from getting service was scrapped.
Senator John Sabini, who had been an outspoken critic of the mid-winter shakeup and warned of the changes months before institution, recently praised the DOE for letting little ones once again take the bus.
“I’m glad the [DOE] is using some common sense in changing its eligibility rules,” Sabini said, “but more direct outreach needs to be done with parents so they know all the options available to them.”
When asked if any other changes to the city’s school bus service were scheduled to go into effect, Feinberg only said that the service included 2,060 general education buses, transporting an estimated 81,000 students.
“We are going to be using that registration to start the school year,” she said.
Feinberg added that parents should call 3-1-1 with questions about the school bus service and recent changes.