The arithmetic of school transportation.The clock strikes 3 p.m., and the line of cars appears on the horizon. It encircles the school like a caravan of Wild West wagons, encompassed in a gauzy haze of midday heat and exhaust. The shiny SUVs, station wagons and minivans come to a stop on the asphalt, and the air is filled with the rumble of car engines.
Suddenly, the school’s doors burst open, releasing a stampede of children who gleefully gallop towards the idling convoy to be swiftly corralled into the backseat. Amid the excitement, a cluster of bumblebee-yellow public school buses sits nearby—and they are nearly empty.
In an era of heightened safety concerns, school transportation can be a thorny issue. Many parents say they opt to drive kids to and from school to ensure their safety, spare them a long bus ride or let them sleep in a few minutes longer. But according to a report issued by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science and Engineering, public school buses are the safest mode of school transportation, yet only 25 percent of the nation’s students use them.
Similarly, parents who drive children to school each day account for 30 percent of daily commuters and add to traffic congestion, particularly during the chaotic morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. And with transportation as the second leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions, more cars on the road equals more damage to our environment.
So, what’s wrong with the bus? With its high-backed, cracked leather seats, birds-eye-view windows (at least, that’s the way I remember it) and roller-coaster-ride hydraulics, the school bus was an experience in itself, especially if you could snag a coveted back row seat so you could make funny faces at the drivers following you. All nostalgia aside, unless your child lives in an inaccessible, remote area, the bus is one of the safest, environmentally-friendliest—and most cost effective—ways to catch a ride to school these days.
In a forum discussing Maui’s energy woes last month, Maui Community College Economics Professor Cynthia Foreman advised members of the Maui County Council to encourage parents to send kids to school by bus, bicycle, or on foot, calling it one “simple way” to save money and reduce our impact on the increasingly fragile environment.
With gas prices hovering around five bucks a gallon, it certainly makes sense. For one school year, your child can ride the bus—round trip—for $88.50. And some kids are eligible to ride for free. I don’t know about you, but it takes a lot more than $88.50 to fill my tank in just one month.
So, here’s a quick math assignment: Calculate the amount you would save if your child rode the bus, carpooled, walked or biked to school. It really does add up. And if your kids already ride the bus, I’ll be sure to honk and wave the next time they make funny faces at me.
For more information, visit www.mauidoe.com.