CMS school buses will be on the roads Aug. 17-21
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 13, 2009 – Charlotte-area drivers
will see big, yellow CMS buses on the roads Aug. 17-21. Bus drivers
will be behind the wheel each morning and afternoon, practicing their
routes so they are familiar with their assignments and stops before
the first day of school.
More than 1,150 school buses will conduct dry runs over the five-day
period. Drivers, who have been in training over the past several
weeks, will report to their assigned transportation areas next week to
practice driving their routes and picking up students. Drivers will
also work in small groups during the week for more individualized
attention by instructors. During the dry runs and school year, the
majority of buses will be on roads from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
to 5 p.m.
CMS is also reminding the public and other drivers to review school
bus safety laws and to be patient during these dry runs and throughout
the school year. When a school bus stops to pick up or discharge
children, warning lights and a red stop sign are engaged and traffic
must stop in both directions. Drivers should also watch for children
in school zones and school crossings where the speed limit is reduced
during certain school hours.
"Starting Aug. 25, there will be 1,155 school buses on
the roads, as well as parents taking students to school and students
driving themselves," said Carol Stamper, executive director of
transportation. "Please be careful and allow extra travel time so
you're not rushing to get to work when buses are back on the roads."
This year, parents should also carefully check their
child's transportation assignment. To save money during a difficult
budget year, CMS reduced the number of bus stops from 37,000 last year
to 26,000 this year. Many bus stop locations have changed and families
need to make sure they know where their stop is before the first day
of school.
Suggestions for parents and children include:
• Walk to and from your child's school bus stop to become familiar
with its location
• Ensure that your child arrives at his/her stop 10 to 15 minutes
before the bus is scheduled to arrive.
• Tell children to cross the street in front of the school bus after
the stop arm and hazard lights come on.
• Remind children to tell the bus driver immediately if something is
dropped near the bus.
Transportation information, including the location of bus
stops, pick-up and drop off times and bus-route numbers, is being
mailed to families. Parents with questions about transportation or a
bus stop should call their school. Parents can also fill out a
transportation service request form online on the CMS Web site to
request changes to their child's transportation plan or to report
unsafe stops.
