News & Insights

Often, transportation contracts specify that school districts have the responsibility to establish bus stops. This is typically done in consultation with the school transportation provider; however, the school district usually has the final say on the bus stop location. As contractors know, it is not uncommon for the transportation contractor or the school district to receive complaints about the location of bus stops from parents or students.

You may have completed your route planning over the summer but now is the best time to review the route with the driver to identify challenges and concerns before the winter months hit and cause additional difficulties in loading zones and/or roadways.

Planning routes and choosing stops for school buses and school vehicles is not an easy task. Stops can vary greatly depending on geographic area – some students may live on or near roads that require pickup or discharge on the road, yet others may require a pickup or discharge off the road. While school transportation contractors typically develop routes and stops in conjunction with their partnering school district, there are statutory and regulatory limitations, and safety considerations, tha...

Many contractors use school vehicles such as vans or multi-function school activity buses (MFSABs) to transport students. As public awareness of the dangers of illegal passing have increased, the roadway presence and proper operation of school vehicles that do not have stop arms and eight way lights have received increased scrutiny from schools, parents, police, and others. This article will discuss how to reconcile the often competing issues of public perception, legal compliance, and location ...

School Boards are responsible for making decisions about bus stop locations and student walking routes, but they often delegate these duties to their contractors. Some bus stop locations and walking routes are easy to evaluate, but some may be more complicated and require assistance to make a determination about safety issues. Fortunately, Pennsylvania law, 67 Pa. Code 447.1, provides guidelines for determining if a walking route is safe, and a PennDOT Traffic Unit that is available to assist in...

As a result of divorce or other circumstances, it is likely that a child in your School District resides in two different locations. Are you required to provide transportation to both residencies if they are within your district? The January 7, 2014 case of Watts v. ManheimTwp. Sch. Dist. 2014 Pa. Commw. LEXIS 30; 2014 WL 37878 answered that very question.