BILL NUMBER:A10124

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
requiring school bus transportation for students in Staten Island

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This bill will have the department of
education of the city of New York provide transportation to all children
residing in Richmond County to and from the school they legally attend,
who are in need of transportation. Such transportation shall be provided
for all children attending grades three through eight who live more than
one mile from the school they legally attend and for children attending
grades kindergarten through two, and siblings of children attending
grades kindergarten through two who attend grades three and five at the
same school, who live more than one half mile from the school they
legally attend.

JUSTIFICATION: Staten Island has a severe safety and transportation
issue, specifically in the vicinity of our elementary and intermediate
schools. This is evident by the by the recent enforcement initiative
implemented by the New York City Police Department. Patrol Borough
Staten Island (PBSI) of the NYPD, has been enforcing the hazardous park-
ing and driving conditions, which endanger our children. The initiative
has specifically targeted, double and triple parking, no standing, no
parking, blocking crosswalks, and passing stopped school buses.

Currently the Department of Education, Office of Pupil Transportation
              

(OPT) assigns Yellow School Bus Service to eligible students based on
their home's distance from the school. The current criteria for eligi-
bility are as follows:

Grades K-2 more than .5 miles from their school
Grades 3-5 more than 1 mile from their school
Grades 7-8 not eligible

OPT also approves variances to otherwise non eligible students. The
variances are currently granted as two main headings, Access Variances
and Hazardous Variances. The Access Variance is granted if there is not
adequate public transportation from the student's home to their school.
The Hazardous Variances are granted if the student has to walk where
there are predominantly no sidewalks and very dangerous roadways, which
are very difficult to cross.

The focus for Staten Island students is mainly on the Access Variances.
Staten Island Grades K-8 students do not have the same access to, school
via public transportation, as the other four boroughs of NYS. Staten
Island is the largest geographical school district in NYS. District 31
has 57,469 students enrolled in grades K-8, second only to District 2 in
Manhattan, which is heavily populated multiple trains and bus options,
unlike District 31.

This legislation would allow students in grade 7 and 8 yellow bus
service equal to that of current grade 6 eligibility, which require a

residence distance of more. This would be a District 31 wide Access
Variance for all 7th and 3th grade students due to lack of adequate
public transportation.

Grade K-2 are eligible for yellow bus service when they live more than
.5 miles away from school, yet, siblings in grades 3-5 are not eligible
for the yellow bus service. Currently parents with children in different
grades do not utilize the bus service because the older child is not
eligible. The Sibling Variance will help to improve safety by minimizing
personal automobiles used as transportation to school.

According to a 2006 study conducted by the NYC Department of City Plan-
ning, Staten Island's population will grow to 552,000 by 2030 from
today's 483,000. This reflects a 24.4% growth from 2000. Staten Island
is projected to see a growth of 8% of grades K-8 students, during this
same time period. It is anticipated that Staten Island will represent
6.5% of NYC's population, but will have 16% of NYC's registered vehi-
cles. This will result in even more hazardous conditions near Staten
Island schools. Not only will expanded yellow school bus service improve
student access to their respective school, it will help reduce traffic
congestion by removing excess private vehicles from our roads. A
National School Transportation Association study revealed that approxi-
mately 800 student fatalities occur yearly in private vehicles in route
to school, compared to 20 student fatalities yearly that occur when
yellow buses are used to travel to school.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: None.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.