Post by wolverine on Feb 15, 2008 12:31:00 GMT -6
Longer commute for some students
Route 59 bridge plays role in deciding on bus routes
February 15, 2008
By BRITT CARSON bcarson@scn1.com
New high school boundaries mean more time on the bus for some students, but shortened commutes for others.
Students in the northern part of the district have been traversing Ogden Avenue and Eola Roads in rush hour traffic for years to get to Waubonsie Valley High School. Under a recently proposed boundary plan, students in the Brookdale neighborhood would see their 6-mile commute knocked down about 2 miles to attend Metea Valley High School.
ยป Click to enlarge image
Thanks to new District 204 high school boundaries, some students could see shorter bus ride commutes - and some could be seeing longer.
Rich Hein / Chicago Sun-Times
Coming Sunday
Parents speak out about boundary lines
However, under the same plan, students in the Fry and Peterson elementary attendance areas could see longer times on the bus. And that has many residents of the Tall Grass neighborhood upset.
Neuqua Valley High School is 1.43 miles from Fry, while Waubonsie is 6 miles.
Safety issue
Route 59 lies in between the high school and Tall Grass, which was a factor when Indian Prairie School District 204 officials were considering new boundaries.
A pedestrian bridge is being built over Route 59 to connect the east and west sides of the Naperville Park District bike trail. Tall Grass residents have argued in the past and are adamant the bridge enables their children a safe walking path to Neuqua Valley.
However, despite the bridge construction, Route 59 is still designated a hazardous crossing by the state, which means the district is responsible for providing transportation for those students, even if they use the bridge to walk to school.
"Yes, they are close, but safety is an issue," said Superintendent Stephen Daeschner of the pedestrian bridge issue. "The status of Route 59 does not change."
According to a memo from Karla Zozulia, director of support services for District 204, the Naperville Park District is responsible for maintenance of the bridge, which includes snow removal. Zozulia said the Park District does not consider the bridge a primary or priority route, so during heavy snows, the bridge might not be plowed for a day or two after the snow ends.
However, Laura Thomson, president of the Tall Grass Homeowners Association, said she and many other Tall Grass residents challenge the designation of the bridge and Route 59.
"We see the bridge as a mitigating factor to Route 59 and believe it does meet school board and IDOT criteria for safe passage," said Thomson, who has two children. "We believe that (bridge) makes a portion of us walkers."
Thomson said she has heard from many of the residents in her neighborhood who are upset with the proposal and say it does not mesh with the school board's criteria to minimize transportation times and costs.
"I have heard overwhelmingly from the community that the administration's proposal doesn't adequately meet their own criteria," Thomson said. "We feel this is a mess. This doesn't appear to minimize transportation costs nor reduce travel times for a great majority of the district."
Travel times
To offset travel times, the district added more bus routes to keep the average travel times less than 38 minutes, said Kathy Birkett, deputy superintendent. The district contracts with Laidlaw for its transportation services. Birkett said the travel times are averages from Laidlaw based on actual bus drivers and their routes, and do factor in rush-hour traffic.
The district also is considering adding a late-departure bus that can transport students in after-school activities to a designated elementary or middle school where parents can then pick them up.
That idea was first launched in 2006. A bus from Waubonsie departed at 5:30 p.m. from the main and then freshman campus and went to four different drop-off sites so parents didn't have to battle rush-hour traffic to pick up their students.
Birkett said an early-departure bus before school also is being considered.
The school board is considering the boundary proposal during a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora.
Route 59 bridge plays role in deciding on bus routes
February 15, 2008
By BRITT CARSON bcarson@scn1.com
New high school boundaries mean more time on the bus for some students, but shortened commutes for others.
Students in the northern part of the district have been traversing Ogden Avenue and Eola Roads in rush hour traffic for years to get to Waubonsie Valley High School. Under a recently proposed boundary plan, students in the Brookdale neighborhood would see their 6-mile commute knocked down about 2 miles to attend Metea Valley High School.
ยป Click to enlarge image
Thanks to new District 204 high school boundaries, some students could see shorter bus ride commutes - and some could be seeing longer.
Rich Hein / Chicago Sun-Times
Coming Sunday
Parents speak out about boundary lines
However, under the same plan, students in the Fry and Peterson elementary attendance areas could see longer times on the bus. And that has many residents of the Tall Grass neighborhood upset.
Neuqua Valley High School is 1.43 miles from Fry, while Waubonsie is 6 miles.
Safety issue
Route 59 lies in between the high school and Tall Grass, which was a factor when Indian Prairie School District 204 officials were considering new boundaries.
A pedestrian bridge is being built over Route 59 to connect the east and west sides of the Naperville Park District bike trail. Tall Grass residents have argued in the past and are adamant the bridge enables their children a safe walking path to Neuqua Valley.
However, despite the bridge construction, Route 59 is still designated a hazardous crossing by the state, which means the district is responsible for providing transportation for those students, even if they use the bridge to walk to school.
"Yes, they are close, but safety is an issue," said Superintendent Stephen Daeschner of the pedestrian bridge issue. "The status of Route 59 does not change."
According to a memo from Karla Zozulia, director of support services for District 204, the Naperville Park District is responsible for maintenance of the bridge, which includes snow removal. Zozulia said the Park District does not consider the bridge a primary or priority route, so during heavy snows, the bridge might not be plowed for a day or two after the snow ends.
However, Laura Thomson, president of the Tall Grass Homeowners Association, said she and many other Tall Grass residents challenge the designation of the bridge and Route 59.
"We see the bridge as a mitigating factor to Route 59 and believe it does meet school board and IDOT criteria for safe passage," said Thomson, who has two children. "We believe that (bridge) makes a portion of us walkers."
Thomson said she has heard from many of the residents in her neighborhood who are upset with the proposal and say it does not mesh with the school board's criteria to minimize transportation times and costs.
"I have heard overwhelmingly from the community that the administration's proposal doesn't adequately meet their own criteria," Thomson said. "We feel this is a mess. This doesn't appear to minimize transportation costs nor reduce travel times for a great majority of the district."
Travel times
To offset travel times, the district added more bus routes to keep the average travel times less than 38 minutes, said Kathy Birkett, deputy superintendent. The district contracts with Laidlaw for its transportation services. Birkett said the travel times are averages from Laidlaw based on actual bus drivers and their routes, and do factor in rush-hour traffic.
The district also is considering adding a late-departure bus that can transport students in after-school activities to a designated elementary or middle school where parents can then pick them up.
That idea was first launched in 2006. A bus from Waubonsie departed at 5:30 p.m. from the main and then freshman campus and went to four different drop-off sites so parents didn't have to battle rush-hour traffic to pick up their students.
Birkett said an early-departure bus before school also is being considered.
The school board is considering the boundary proposal during a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora.
