Heads up - MCPS eliminating most neighborhood bus stops for programs

[Anonymous]

When I attended Eastern/Blair in the 90s my neighborhood stop (which was an ES, though not my assigned ES) was the first stop of the magnet route and the bus came in the 6 o’clock hour, I forget if it was 6:15 or 6:30, about a 1 mile walk from my house. I took public transportation to Eastern for 7th and 8th and a neighbor whose kid went to Takoma Park drove us both to Blair in 9th and 10th grade until we could drive in 11th and 12th. I took a school bus half way home, where I could get off at the first stop and then take a RideOn for the second leg home. Never took the assigned bus. With RideOn being free now, kids have increased options for free transportation that’s not just MCPS buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I attended Eastern/Blair in the 90s my neighborhood stop (which was an ES, though not my assigned ES) was the first stop of the magnet route and the bus came in the 6 o’clock hour, I forget if it was 6:15 or 6:30, about a 1 mile walk from my house. I took public transportation to Eastern for 7th and 8th and a neighbor whose kid went to Takoma Park drove us both to Blair in 9th and 10th grade until we could drive in 11th and 12th. I took a school bus half way home, where I could get off at the first stop and then take a RideOn for the second leg home. Never took the assigned bus. With RideOn being free now, kids have increased options for free transportation that’s not just MCPS buses.

This only works if RideOn is accessible to you. There area residential areas in MoCo where this is not true - it'd be a couple miles just to get to the closest RideOn stop.

[Anonymous]

Future expectation for regional programs is MCPS/MoCo locations - so schools (HS, MS, ES) as well as County buildings, like maybe a library or a Community Rec Center.

I would expect neighborhood stops to disappear.

Also be mindful, these stops would have to be early to have a timely arrival for start of high school. So definitely no counting on your local high school bus to get you to school first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup, this is going to be the new normal and then they are going to come up with some spin on it to pretend that it's equitable, when everyone knows that better-off parents will be able to drive their kids to these programs while less well-off kids will have to drop out or never apply in the first place (unless they happen to live in an area walkable to a school, but two-thirds of kids don't.)

And this is all a self-inflicted wound by MCPS-- if they hadn't decided to add 100 new regional programs and kill the DCC and NEC but grandfather everyone in for up to 4 years, they wouldn't be in such a bind transportation-wise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yup, this is going to be the new normal and then they are going to come up with some spin on it to pretend that it's equitable, when everyone knows that better-off parents will be able to drive their kids to these programs while less well-off kids will have to drop out or never apply in the first place (unless they happen to live in an area walkable to a school, but two-thirds of kids don't.)

For high school programs some kids can take ride on buses. Currently there are ride on buses a 10 minute walk from our house that go to 3 of the 4 other schools in our region. However we do live near a transit hub so I suspect this won't be feasible for most unless Ride on can adjust their routes.

[Anonymous]

I'm in Region 1 and there's a good ride-on route to the school we're zoned for and an ok one (drop off 0.7 mi from school) for 1 other school.

The other 3 schools are 15-20 min by car, but all would involve a bus transfer and 45+ min travel time.

[Anonymous]

Taylor is dismantling MCPS. I anticipate that the regional programs will ultimately flop, because while the man has ideas, he has no interest in implementation.

Taylor is DOGE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Region 1 and there's a good ride-on route to the school we're zoned for and an ok one (drop off 0.7 mi from school) for 1 other school.

The other 3 schools are 15-20 min by car, but all would involve a bus transfer and 45+ min travel time.

45 minutes honestly doesn't seem that bad? many school bus commutes take that long. I lived right at the 2 mile mark from my high school, didn't have bus service, and that's how long the walk was (so we carpooled).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in Region 1 and there's a good ride-on route to the school we're zoned for and an ok one (drop off 0.7 mi from school) for 1 other school.

The other 3 schools are 15-20 min by car, but all would involve a bus transfer and 45+ min travel time.

45 minutes honestly doesn't seem that bad? many school bus commutes take that long. I lived right at the 2 mile mark from my high school, didn't have bus service, and that's how long the walk was (so we carpooled).

It is when you go back and forth twice a day. We don’t have any good ride on options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The updated TPMS routes came out today.

Link?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are they so focused on the stops being at schools? Often those are not the most central places within the school's boundaries-- they could pick locations that are actually walkable to larger numbers of kids if they tried.

I think because they know those parking lots/loops are big enough for the buses, and there are often extra pedestrian safety measures near schools like crosswalks and sidewalks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are they so focused on the stops being at schools? Often those are not the most central places within the school's boundaries-- they could pick locations that are actually walkable to larger numbers of kids if they tried.

I think because they know those parking lots/loops are big enough for the buses, and there are often extra pedestrian safety measures near schools like crosswalks and sidewalks.

+1. It might not be ideal for your kid, but the answer to "why are they so focused on putting bus stops at the places built and designed for bus traffic" is pretty to figure out.

[Anonymous]

Eliminated Stop Replacement Stop
Carderock Springs ES Whitman HS
Brookville Rd & Taylor St Chevy Chase ES
Rosemary Hills ES Woodlin ES
Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS Bethesda ES
Linden Ln & Hume Dr Woodlin ES
Dale Dr & Columbia Blvd Woodlin ES
Dale Dr & Watson Rd Sligo Creek ES
Woodlin ES or Sligo Creek ES
8005 Connecticut Ave (Chevy Chase Library) North Chevy Chase ES
Falls Rd & Glenolden Dr (Potomac Library) 11315 Falls Rd (Potomac Community
Center)
Georgian Forest ES None
Viers Mill ES 4910 Macon Rd (Rocking Horse Center)
Rock View ES Einstein HS
Forest Glen Metro Center Sligo MS
Glen Haven ES Sligo MS
Cavanaugh Dr & Hayworth Dr (Potomac Glen
Clubhouse)
Stone Mill ES
Wootton HS Fallsmead ES or Lakewood ES
10015 Bald Cypress Dr (Willows of Potomac
Clubhouse)
Stone Mill ES or Lakewood ES
16605 Georgia Ave (Olney Indoor Swim Center) Olney ES
3500 Olney-Laytonsville Rd (Olney Library) Olney ES
8700 Piney Branch Rd (Longbranch Rec Center) Rolling Terrace ES
7315 New Hampshire Ave (Takoma Park Rec Center) Rolling Terrace ES or New Hampshire
Estates ES
11701 New Hampshire Ave (White Oak Library) White Oak MS
2201 Fairland Rd (West Fairland Park) Page ES
Stewart Ln & Old Columbia Pike Burnt Mills ES or Key MS or White Oak
MS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Eliminated Stop Replacement Stop
Carderock Springs ES Whitman HS
Brookville Rd & Taylor St Chevy Chase ES
Rosemary Hills ES Woodlin ES
Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS Bethesda ES
Linden Ln & Hume Dr Woodlin ES
Dale Dr & Columbia Blvd Woodlin ES
Dale Dr & Watson Rd Sligo Creek ES
8900 Georgia Ave (Woodside Daycare) Woodlin ES or Sligo Creek ES
8005 Connecticut Ave (Chevy Chase Library) North Chevy Chase ES
Falls Rd & Glenolden Dr (Potomac Library) 11315 Falls Rd (Potomac Community Center)
Georgian Forest ES None
Viers Mill ES 4910 Macon Rd (Rocking Horse Center)
Rock View ES Einstein HS
Forest Glen Metro Center Sligo MS
Glen Haven ES Sligo MS
Cavanaugh Dr & Hayworth Dr (Potomac Glen Clubhouse) Stone Mill ES
Wootton HS Fallsmead ES or Lakewood ES
10015 Bald Cypress Dr (Willows of Potomac Clubhouse) Stone Mill ES or Lakewood ES
16605 Georgia Ave (Olney Indoor Swim Center) Olney ES
3500 Olney-Laytonsville Rd (Olney Library) Olney ES
8700 Piney Branch Rd (Longbranch Rec Center) Rolling Terrace ES
7315 New Hampshire Ave (Takoma Park Rec Center) Rolling Terrace ES or New Hampshire Estates ES
11701 New Hampshire Ave (White Oak Library) White Oak MS
2201 Fairland Rd (West Fairland Park) Page ES
Stewart Ln & Old Columbia Pike Burnt Mills ES or Key MS or White Oak MS

[Anonymous]

I’m confused. I understand this sucking this coming school year. But for the following year when we switch to regions, there will be buses within your region.
So like my home school is Sherwood for example but if we choose a program at PBHS and kid goes there, they will bus them to PB.