BILL NUMBER:  S7059

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


 PURPOSE :
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
parking 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
eligibility 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 K8 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
Planning, 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
vehicles. 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 approximately 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.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
New bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
Undetermined.

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