to hold their service providers to the same standards that you would hold your bus drivers.” Wen added that the competitive bid process is vital to
keeping costs in check. And transportation works with the district’s special needs department and McKinney Vento Office to identify federal funding streams. But ul- timately, his transportation is focused on providing rides for any children who need them. “The thing that I always look at is, how do we best
serve the students? If we have to use third-party ven- dors, we do it carefully in the selection process, and we also look at accountability,” he said. Because Orange County Public Schools is invoiced
for no-shows, transportation will suspend third-party service if a student fails to ride two times in a row. Par- ents need to contact Wen’s staff to request that service resumes. “There are some parents out there who think it’s an Uber service,” he said.
Walking and Rolling Meanwhile, the Safe Routes to School National Part-
nership is a nonprofit organization working to advance safe walking and rolling to and from schools and is a national leader in the Safe Routes to School movement.
Since the first federally funded Safe Routes to School
program was created by Congress in 2005, the initiative has grown, with federal, state and local level policy and funding support. Today, state transportation departments distribute fed-
eral Transportation Alternatives Program funds through competitive grant processes to support Safe Routes initiatives. According to the Safe Routes Partnership, almost half
of all students in 1969 walked or rolled to school, and 87 percent of students who lived within a mile of school walked or rolled. Today, only about 11 percent of students walk or roll to school. These changes have had a significant negative impact on district transportation costs, traffic conges- tion near schools, and students’ health and safety. This primer for school transportation departments
includes case studies on how various districts are miti- gating the challenges. Margaux Mennesson, the Safe Routes Partnership
communications director, said the organization is pay- ing attention to articles and data on driver behavior and safety around school buses and school zones. “Everyone is a pedestrian at some point in the jour- ney,” she said. “It is really critical to make sure there are
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