HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-03-15-STAS-minAd Hoc School Transportation and Safety Study Committee
March 15, 2012 at gam
Room G -15, Town Hall
Meeting Minutes
1. Attending: Judy Crocker, Craig Weeks, Sharon Kendall, Elaine Celi, MaryEllen Dunn,
Jessie Steigerwald (liaison the SC), and resident Bonnie Brown
2. Review notes of the Feb 2 and March 1- Feb 2 was approved and March 1 deferred.
3. Article 4
4. Article 17
a. Informational materials
• Handouts
• Local town map
b. Draft presentation
c. March 22nd TM Information Session
d. School Committee discussion March 26 - they meet one hour prior to Town
Meeting.
See attached power point presentation.
5. March Parent Survey - School Bus Parameters DRAFT
School Transportation Parent Survey:
Improving our Present System
March 2012
Ad hoc School Transportation and Safety Study Committee
Increasing school bus ridership and the number of walkers and bikers are critical if
Lexington is serious about reversing the trend of cars being the #1 method our 6400
students use to get to class. Steps to address reasons why students do not use the school
bus or walk - such as high bus costs, safety concerns, and bus timeliness, are being
undertaken to meet these goals.
Please use your voice and take this anonymous parent survey. Its results will help ensure
that our community's efforts are headed in the correct direction. Thank you!
Please check all that apply for each question.
1. What school(s) does your student attend?
• LHS
• Clarke
• Diamond
• Bowman
• Bridge
• Estabrook
• Fiske
• Harrington
• Hastings
2. Charging Parent Bus Fees is a common mechanism for school systems to defer some
of the cost of school transportation to the shareholders (i.e. students). Which of the
following would your family deem as a reasonable Parent Fee per student?
• Up to $600
• Up to $500
• Up to $400
• Up to $300
• Up to $200
• Zero
3. 2012 Town Meeting Article 17 requests a school bus subsidy from the Town that
would be used to partially offset Parent Bus Fees. If Article 17 passed and helped to
lower the Parent Bus Fee, would your student then take the bus?
• Yes - and my student(s) presently takes the bus
• Yes - and my student(s) presently does not take the bus
• Maybe - depends on the family cost
• No - my student(s) walk or bike to school
• No - my student wouldn't use the bus even if it were free
4. Timely arrival to school is a school bus issue. One way to increase bus route speed is
to reduce the number of stops that are in close proximity to each other, as opposed to
having multiple bus stops on the same street. Assuming that bus stops are located in
convenient areas, would you endorse neighborhood bus stops?
• Yes
• No
5. Bus passes must be visible on a student's backpack in order to ride the school bus.
Failure to have a bus pass results in a student not being able to ride the bus. As a
parent:
Choose one:
• I am aware of this rule.
• I am unaware of this rule.
Choose one:
• I agree with this rule.
• I don't agree with this rule.
6. Supporting walkers, bikers and bus riders (i.e. school bus, Lexpress, MBTA) will
benefit the entire community. The sheer volume of parent vehicles has compromised
pedestrian safety. Measures need to be taken to discourage single- occupancy
vehicles and today's school staff valet service. Would you be in favor of school policy
allowing for priority dismissal for walkers and bus riders over those being driven?
For example, elementary walkers and bus riders would be dismissed at 3:15 and
others at 3:30pm.
• Yes
• No
7. The amount of REAL time spent on the school bus depends on when a student is
physically picked -up at the morning bus stop and upon loading the bus after school
dismissal. School arrival and dismissal times are standard for the entire district. How
long would you consider a reasonable bus route (time between morning bus stop to
school drop -off and afternoon school bus loading to bus stop)?
• 15 -20 minutes
• 20 -25 minutes
• 25 -30 minutes
• 30 -35 minutes
8. School traffic plans are currently frequently abused along with the absence of
common courtesy during arrival and dismissal times. As a parent:
Choose one:
• I understand my school's traffic plan and marked signage rules.
• I do not understand my school's traffic plan.
• I have no idea what my school's traffic plan entails.
Choose one:
• I agree with my school's traffic plan.
• I do not agree with my school's traffic plan.
9. The Lexpress Flexpass pilot program is an afternoon mass transit alternative for high
school students that could act as a late bus. What is your opinion of this pilot service?
• The Flexpass adequately served my student's needs.
• The Flexpass did not adequately serve my student's needs.
• I was unaware of the service.
• I wish the Flexpass was available for middle school students.
• Now that I'm aware of such a service, our family would use it.
• Not applicable
10. Lexington students participate in an array of after - school activities. If contractual
arrangements could be made economically feasible for afternoon bus routes to have
their last stop be a common after - school destination, would your student participate?
Examples of common student destinations may include Hayden, Munroe Center for
the Arts, 240 Bedford St, churches and temples.
• My student would take advantage of identified after - school bus stops.
• My student would not take advantage of after - school bus stops.
• Depends on the timing of my student's activity.
• Not applicable.
6. New business
Ms. Dunn shared an email from the chair of the Selectmen asking pointed questions
about the status of the school bus contract and any subsidies. Answers to the
questions included:
• Contract negotiations will not be completed in time for Town meeting and
the Article 17 presentation
• The bus subsidy will not interact with the proposed Estabrook subsidy.
Estabrook families will pay the same as town subsidized riders but the fees
will collected separately. They are then mutually exclusive.
7. Adjourn. Our next meeting will be April 5, 2012 at 2pm in Town Hall Room G -15.
Respectively submitted,
Judy Crocker