Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about the option of privatizing buses, or the county creating bus stops at each school, so that FCPS no longer has to foot the bill for buses. ES, MS, HS can be at the same times, no crazy bus schedules. Kids that can walk, walk. Kids whose parents want to pay for the year can pay (I can't imagine it would be that much, seeing as though there are so many people that would use it), and other kids can use public transport.

Has anyone delved into the cost savings/benefit of this?!

Considering that the high schools have huge parking lots and the elementary schools have mile long lines of parents dropping off their kids, how many kids even take the bus? Carpool, walk, bike, or get yourself to school.

Most HS have waitlists for parking spots.

Anonymous wrote:You can't blame AAP centers for every ill.

When you are illogical you can.

Second 12:27 here. Our school is not a center and our buses are crowded. We are a LLIV school and the vast majority of kids stay. You can't blame AAP centers for every ill. In fact, our school becoming a LLIV made the buses worse because it used to be that after second grade, many kids did go to the center, which is (obviously) larger and their bus capacity was larger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of AAP and Kiss and Ride will be dramatically reduced.

How? Those kids still have to go to an elementary school? Kiss and ride lines will just be larger at the other school.

NP here: Well, if there's no AAP, then kids are going to school IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD where the probability that they can walk to school increases dramatically. If they go to a center school not in their neighborhood, you guarantee that they can't walk to school.

+100
Plus, the extra buses they currently use to needlessly schlep AAP kids to centers could then be put to use alleviating the crowded routes other PPs were describing. Another reason to get rid of centers and busing to them.

Exactly! The problem with AAP is the buses! Get rid of AAP and you free up buses (or spend less money on busing, but not freeing up any remaining buses). Problem solved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of AAP and Kiss and Ride will be dramatically reduced.

How? Those kids still have to go to an elementary school? Kiss and ride lines will just be larger at the other school.

NP here: Well, if there's no AAP, then kids are going to school IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD where the probability that they can walk to school increases dramatically. If they go to a center school not in their neighborhood, you guarantee that they can't walk to school.

+100
Plus, the extra buses they currently use to needlessly schlep AAP kids to centers could then be put to use alleviating the crowded routes other PPs were describing. Another reason to get rid of centers and busing to them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of AAP and Kiss and Ride will be dramatically reduced.

How? Those kids still have to go to an elementary school? Kiss and ride lines will just be larger at the other school.

NP here: Well, if there's no AAP, then kids are going to school IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD where the probability that they can walk to school increases dramatically. If they go to a center school not in their neighborhood, you guarantee that they can't walk to school.

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of AAP and Kiss and Ride will be dramatically reduced.

How? Those kids still have to go to an elementary school? Kiss and ride lines will just be larger at the other school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about the option of privatizing buses, or the county creating bus stops at each school, so that FCPS no longer has to foot the bill for buses. ES, MS, HS can be at the same times, no crazy bus schedules. Kids that can walk, walk. Kids whose parents want to pay for the year can pay (I can't imagine it would be that much, seeing as though there are so many people that would use it), and other kids can use public transport.

Has anyone delved into the cost savings/benefit of this?!

What public transportation?

Our school has all children officially take the bus because they could not find a crossing guard. If you want more walkers, you have to pay for more crossing guards.

I'm talking about city buses. Kinda like what DC does. Middle schoolers and high schoolers would have no problem with this. I would hesitate with elementary, but other options are available. With all of the people complaining about budgets and start times, this seems to be something that could be addressed. Plus, with projections of more and more students attending FCPS, the bussing situation is going to get worse!**

There are no city buses. Metro comes through one or twice an hour down two or three main roads and that is it. In my neighborhood, we can get to Tysons and Balston by public tranportation. There are no cross town or other busses to be able to get to the schools.

how many kids even take the bus?

A lot. At many schools, the kids are 3 to a seat and the bus is full. At our elementary school last year, we were told no "playdates" where the guest kid rides the bus home with a friend were not no longer allow because the buses were too full to allow extra kids. Routes were also been consolidated about 2 years ago, so each bus carries more kids than before.

At our MS, the bus is packed after school, but not before school (because so many parents do drop off in the morning). Even the late activity buses are very full on some days and routes. But there are a lot fewer of those routes.

In my hometown, busses only picked up kids that lived 2 miles away from the school. Otherwise, you find your own way to get there. No one batted an eye, and there were a lot less busses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about the option of privatizing buses, or the county creating bus stops at each school, so that FCPS no longer has to foot the bill for buses. ES, MS, HS can be at the same times, no crazy bus schedules. Kids that can walk, walk. Kids whose parents want to pay for the year can pay (I can't imagine it would be that much, seeing as though there are so many people that would use it), and other kids can use public transport.

Has anyone delved into the cost savings/benefit of this?!

What public transportation?

Our school has all children officially take the bus because they could not find a crossing guard. If you want more walkers, you have to pay for more crossing guards.

I'm talking about city buses. Kinda like what DC does. Middle schoolers and high schoolers would have no problem with this. I would hesitate with elementary, but other options are available. With all of the people complaining about budgets and start times, this seems to be something that could be addressed. Plus, with projections of more and more students attending FCPS, the bussing situation is going to get worse!**

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about the option of privatizing buses, or the county creating bus stops at each school, so that FCPS no longer has to foot the bill for buses. ES, MS, HS can be at the same times, no crazy bus schedules. Kids that can walk, walk. Kids whose parents want to pay for the year can pay (I can't imagine it would be that much, seeing as though there are so many people that would use it), and other kids can use public transport.

Has anyone delved into the cost savings/benefit of this?!

What public transportation?

Our school has all children officially take the bus because they could not find a crossing guard. If you want more walkers, you have to pay for more crossing guards.

I forgot about sidewalks. If you want students to walk there have to be sidewalks too. Our ES is an island for most of the houses nearby- sidewalks would help quite a bit. Same for the MS and HS. Both are within 2 miles and would be walkable if there were sidewalks.

Get rid of AAP and Kiss and Ride will be dramatically reduced.

Anonymous wrote:How about the option of privatizing buses, or the county creating bus stops at each school, so that FCPS no longer has to foot the bill for buses. ES, MS, HS can be at the same times, no crazy bus schedules. Kids that can walk, walk. Kids whose parents want to pay for the year can pay (I can't imagine it would be that much, seeing as though there are so many people that would use it), and other kids can use public transport.

Has anyone delved into the cost savings/benefit of this?!

What public transportation?

Our school has all children officially take the bus because they could not find a crossing guard. If you want more walkers, you have to pay for more crossing guards.

Anonymous wrote:How about the option of privatizing buses, or the county creating bus stops at each school, so that FCPS no longer has to foot the bill for buses. ES, MS, HS can be at the same times, no crazy bus schedules. Kids that can walk, walk. Kids whose parents want to pay for the year can pay (I can't imagine it would be that much, seeing as though there are so many people that would use it), and other kids can use public transport.

Has anyone delved into the cost savings/benefit of this?!

Considering that the high schools have huge parking lots and the elementary schools have mile long lines of parents dropping off their kids, how many kids even take the bus? Carpool, walk, bike, or get yourself to school.