The Yellow School Bus: Gateway to Education & Environmental Sustainability

1. THE YELLOW SCHOOL BUS HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT GATEWAY TO EDUCATION KEEPING KIDS SAFE

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Why Ride the Bus? Reduced Pollution & Costs Reduced Traffic Equal Access Parental Needs Safest Vehicles Dedicated Professionals Help the Environment Gateway to Education Keep Kids Safe

8. Why Ride the Bus? Reduced Pollution & Costs Reduced Traffic Equal Access Parental Needs Safest Vehicles Dedicated Professionals Help the Environment Gateway to Education Keep Kids Safe

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

10. What if? What if the school buses that are on the road today weren’t on the road?

11. 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

12. School Bus Fuel Savings = 300,000 Tankers For 180 day school year, National fuel savings: 2.3 BILLION gallons 6.0 BILLION dollars = 27 Super Tankers 1 Bus = 36 Cars

13. 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

14. Why Ride the Bus? Reduced Pollution & Costs Reduced Traffic Equal Access Parental Needs Safest Vehicles Dedicated Professionals Help the Environment Gateway to Education Keep Kids Safe

15. 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

16. 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 accessthe 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

17. 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

18. Why Ride the Bus? Reduced Pollution & Costs Reduced Traffic Equal Access Parental Needs Safest Vehicles Dedicated Professionals Help the Environment Gateway to Education Keep Kids Safe

19. 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

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

21. 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

22. Why is the Yellow School Bus Important? • Reduce the number of cars and the pollution they produce • Equal access to education for all children • Safest way to transport childrento and from school Help the Environment Gateway to Education Keep Kids Safe

23. This is what it’s all about!