Transportation Information Session

September 26, 2011

Purpose of Tonights Meeting

Provide information on transportation issues Provide progress report Obtain input on solutions

Challenges in a Complex Transportation System

General Challenges
Traffic congestion causing late arrivals and long run times Public transportation routes vs. direct line to home significantly different in time length In a three grade level secondary school, one-third of students are new and one-third of prior year students leave. Therefore, old routes require change annually.

Nonpublic Challenges
Routes are longer than necessary due to lack of information regarding who does not plan to use bus transportation Some non-public schools have a small number of students and those students residences are scattered across the district Some non-public students register late which makes the route planning process difficult

Challenges in a Complex Transportation System

Start of School Year Challenges
Changing enrollments-NPSD has had 500 changes of indistrict public students since late August 2011, approximately 50 per week during the year New routes take several days to adjust and run smoothly (parent photos, questions answered by drivers, riders selecting seats, driver familiarity with route, driver suggestions for better route, etc.).

Communication Challenges
Timely responses NPSD and First Student are not on same two way radio

Challenges in a Complex Transportation System (continued)

Shared Service Challenges
Bell times for schools in close proximity to one another make sharing one bus difficult

Bus Routing Challenges

Transporting homeless students to distant locations uses numerous vehicles and drivers Routing software limitations Slow second tier bus loading sets back third tier buses

Challenges in a Complex Transportation System (continued)

Bus Capacity Challenges
When buses are nearly full, students are slow to find a seat It is difficult to predict how many students will use the bus. Assigning two to a seat leads to many seats with only one student Band instruments need space

Other Challenges
Bus pass requests The bus loading/unloading areas at some non-public schools are small Car riders mix with bus traffic and slow unloading

Background Information
MCTC-Montgomery County Transportation Consortium
Formed this year for out-of-district nonpublic and special education students, piloted by 5 adjacent school districts Based on 2009 study for Bucks and Montgomery County showing potential of $18 million or 32% in savings for both counties North Penn has one of the highest nonpublic transportation costs in the state and highest in Montgomery County

Legal requirement
Nonpublic students-school districts must transport nonpublic students residing in their district to nonpublic schools within 10 miles of their boundary (nearest boundary to the nonpublic school) Special education students-must transport to school selected regardless of location

-$1,000.00 $1,000.00 $2,000.00 $3,000.00 $4,000.00 $5,000.00 $0.00

Nonpublic Transportation Cost per Student

North Penn

1 12 23 34 45 56 67 78 89 100 111 122 133 144 155 166 177 188 199 210 221 232 243 254 265 276 287 298 309 320 331 342 353 364 375 386 397 408 419 430 441 452 463 474 485 496

Nonpublic Transportation-Montgomery County

$3,000.00

North Penn

$2,500.00

$2,000.00

$1,500.00

$1,000.00

$500.00

$0.00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

MCTC Bus Runs-Shared and Total for NPSD

120

100

80

60 Bus Runs Shared Bus Runs 40

20

0
All MCTC Districts Bus Runs Shared Bus Runs 105 41 North Penn Total 66 33 North Penn, Nonpublic 42 22

North Penn, Special Education 24 11

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for out-of-district nonpublic students

Background:
Assigned to MCTC

Issue:
Late arrival due to long ride times than expected

Immediate Solution
Earlier pickup times Add busses Different combinations of schools served by bus

Long-term Solution
Several busses shuttle to transfer point, students transfer to another bus/busses to ride to school (In some situations, this has been used successfully in the past.)

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for out-of-district nonpublic students

Schools-Nonpublic out-ofdistrict Ancillae Assumpta Academy Solution Add 1 bus Effective Date September 12

Penn View Christian, Grace Christian, Souderton Charter

LaSalle, Mt. St. Josephs, Phil-Mont Academy Gwenydd Mercy Elementary and High School, St. Rose of Lima

Add 2 vans for Souderton Charter due September 21 to widespread geographic location of 9 students; for remaining schools, add 1 bus and revise routes
Split schools; reuse shuttle transfer approach in morning and direct bussing home in afternoon Add 2 busses, revise all routes September 22

September 23

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for out-of-district nonpublic students

Schools-Nonpublic out-ofdistrict Germantown Academy Solution Upon students removed from other districts, lateness improved; possible rerouting later for further improvement Dedicate one bus per school; in afternoon, use shorter bus to take students at a transfer point from the longer bus and go directly home Effective Date September 21

St. Catherine of Siena, Quaker School

September 28

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for outof-district special education students
Background:
Assigned to MCTC

Issue:
Late arrival due to longer ride times than expected School, total busses, number late (develop a table)

Immediate Solution
Earlier pickup times Add busses and vans (some temporarily) Different combinations of schools served by busses or vans

Long-term Solution
Review entire situation in October 2011 to attempt to reduce busses/vans used for immediate solutions

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for outof-district special education students
Special Education Schools, out-of-district Pathway Solution Driver suggested less congested route on fourth day Effective Date September 9

Martin Luther, Shady Grove, Blue Bell

Shady Grove lateness solved by separating Martin Luther from the original group and combining it with Center Square/Montessori;
Advanced pickup times by 10 minutes

September 15

Huntington Valley

September 23

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for indistrict special education students
Background:
Routed by NPSD transportation staff

Issue:
Late arrival due to long ride times and long loading times for some students

Immediate Solution
Earlier pickup times Add busses and vans Different combinations of schools served by busses or vans

Long-term Solution
Review entire situation in October 2011 to attempt to reduce busses/vans used for immediate solutions

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for indistrict special education students
Special Education Schools, in-district Pennbrook Middle School Solution Add 1 bus to 3 others originally scheduled Effective Date September 22

North Wales Elementary School

Kulp Elementary School

Add 1 bus to 2 others originally scheduled

Add 1 bus to 3 others originally scheduled

September 22
September 19

Hatfield

Added 1 van already used at Penndale to solve lateness at Hatfield

September 23

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for indistrict nonpublic students

Background:
Previously contracted and routed by First Student, the bus contractor Routed by NPSD transportation staff since last year NPSD busses running 14 nonpublic routes previously contracted

Issue:
Late arrival due to longer ride times than expected Second and third tier schools delayed if first tier is slow

Immediate Solution
Earlier pickup times Add busses and vans Reduce busses on first tier allowing second tier to start earlier

Long-term Solution
Review entire situation on individual school basis in October 2011 Remove unused (dead) stops, letter sent to principals of nonpublic schools

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for indistrict nonpublic students

Nonpublic Schools, in- Solution district St. Stanislaus-Tier 3 Bus 75 late, added Bus 117 that had no Tier 3 run; for 3 more busses late, used 2 more busses without regular runs after their Pennfield runs to reduce number of stops (Bus 118, Bus 139); Bus FS-233 pickup times advanced by 5 minutes Adjusted bus run times of previous school allowing MMR busses to run earlier also Effective date Bus 75 within 3 days of start of school; worked with principal on all other situations including dropping riders driven by parents who are teachers

MMR-Tier 3

As soon as aware; notified riders by handouts distributed on bus 2 days before effective date; worked with nonpublic school administration

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for indistrict public students

Background:
Always routed by NPSD transportation staff making minor revisions each year based on changing enrollments NPSD busses running 14 nonpublic routes previously contracted

Issue:
Late arrival delivery window times established in software Second and third tier schools are delayed if first tier is slow

Immediate Solution
Reset delivery window times (5 to 10 minutes earlier for 25 busses arriving late, effective September 26, 2011) Earlier tiers too long

Short-term Solution
Review entire situation on individual school basis in October 2011

Long-term Solution
Change delivery window times in computer to 5 to 10 minutes before the bell, which is a 5 minute window.

Issue: Late arrival in the morning for indistrict public students

School High school Solution None, because arrival time is set 20 to 25 minutes before bell time due to traffic congestion Adjusted times by 5 to 10 minutes on 5 Pennbrook busses , 4 Pennfield busses, and 5 at Penndale; these adjustments were made to allow for breakfast program Upon driver notification of lateness or upon review of time logs collected daily at schools; adjusted from September 6 to September 26 Effective Date

Middle school

Elementary school

Adjust bus times by 5 or 10 September 26, 2011 minutes on about 25 busses

Issue: Late arrival in the afternoon of busses for in-district public students
Background:
Always routed by NPSD transportation staff making minor revisions each year based on changing enrollments NPSD busses running 14 nonpublic routes previously contracted

Issue:
Second and third tier schools delayed if first tier is slow

Immediate Solution
Earlier tiers too long

Short-term Solution
Review entire situation on individual school basis in October 2011 Review sequencing of busses from run to run and possible remixing based on last dropoff point from prior run

Long-term Solution
Study adjustment of bell times for 2012-13 or beyond

Issue: Late arrival in the afternoon for indistrict public students

School High school Middle school Solution None since it is first tier in afternoon Improved high school dismissal process to avoid delays in leaving high school property; adjusted bus loads of selected busses by moving stops from bus to another September 6 to 23 Effective Date

Elementary school

Identify specific bus September 6 to 23 causing lateness; improve timing of specific bus by redistributing loads/stops among other busses at that school

Issue: Late arrival in the afternoon of busses for in-district nonpublic students
Background:
Routed by NPSD transportation staff NPSD busses running 14 nonpublic routes previously contracted

Issue:
Second and third tier schools delayed if first tier is slow

Immediate Solution
Adjust specific busses on earlier tiers that are too long

Short-term Solution
Review entire situation on individual school basis in October 2011

Long-term Solution

Issue: Late arrival in the afternoon for indistrict nonpublic students

School High school St. Stanislaus-Tier 3 Solution None since it is first tier in afternoon Added bus 75 after its Bus 75 effective September Northbridge run; 21 addressed specific busses that were late by using busses with 2 tiers allowing them to start earlier Added bus 94 after its Northbridge run Bus 37 was late requiring us to use bus without prior run Bus 94 effective September 21 Bus 37 effective September 23 Effective Date

Mary Mother of the Redeemer Corpus Christi

Bus Routing Timeline

Cost Effective Use of Time and Seating Capacity
Mid-July:
Update information on riders-public, nonpublic, special education Transportation software expert optimizes routes (for each school, least total rider time)

Early August
Drivers test bus routes recording times and other driving details (construction, detours, hazards) All drivers for a school meet with software expert reviewing the use of time and seating capacity and providing their expertise Routes revised per driver input

Mid-August
Routes provided to riders/parents

Late August
New enrollees added to routes, withdrawals removed

During School Year

Students added or removed from routes, very minor adjustments

Kulp AM
120%

100% 96% 90% 85%

80%

67%

60%

62% % of Capacity 49%

40%
36%

43%

20%

0% 0:00 0:07 0:14 0:21 0:28 0:36 0:43

Gwynedd Square AM
120%

100%

99%

83%

80%
72% 64% 63%

79%

63%

65% % of Capacity

60%

58%

40%

20%

0% 0:00 0:07 0:14 0:21 0:28 0:36

Oak Park AM
80% 75% 70% 67% 64% 60% 71% 75%

50%

40%
% of Capacity 36% 30%

20%

10%

0% 0:00 0:07 0:14 0:21 0:28 0:36