Marin County Grand Jury
• 2017-2018
Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief Report Date: June 1, 2018
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 8 findings
F1
Traffic congestion is consistently cited as the number one problem in the county and school-related traffic is a significant contributor.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The Marin County Board of Supervisors should work with Marin Transit to secure ample locations for bus parking and a location for bus maintenance
F2
School buses have been shown to reduce traffic congestion.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
All municipalities should work with Marin Transit to secure ample locations for bus parking and a location for bus maintenance
F3
There are school districts with no bus service and others with varying levels of service. The lack of coordination results in inefficiencies.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Marin Transit should produce and make public a list of possible sites for bus parking and maintenance and the barriers to purchasing and utilizing each site by October 2018.
F4
Current school bus funding includes bus pass sales and various municipality and county contributions. The municipal and county contributions are temporary and inconsistent.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Marin Transit should facilitate negotiations for a financial arrangement across the full group of participants that would distribute any tax revenue lost by a municipality or the County for providing a parking or maintenance facility.
F5
There is demand to establish and/or expand YSB programs in the County.
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
The Marin County Board of Supervisors should direct Marin Transit to establish a new standing YSB committee by September 2018.
F6
Securing dedicated YSB bus parking and a maintenance facility is essential for expansion of a countywide YSB program.
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
Marin Transit should establish a new standing YSB committee that would provide guidance on YSB issues to include representatives from the County, Marin County Office of Education, and each school district and municipality in the urbanized areas of Marin. The initial meeting should be held by October of 2018.
F7
The YSB programs in Marin face many challenges, including dependable funding sources, bus drivers and coordinated school bell times.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
School districts (with or without existing YSB programs) and municipalities within the urbanized area of the County should join and actively participate in the YSB committee providing guidance to Marin Transit on YSB issues, such as cost allocations, bell times and routes. The initial meeting should be held by October of 2018.
F8
Marin Transit is the appropriate entity to efficiently manage a coordinated YSB program.
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
The YSB committee should work toward the establishment of a coordinated YSB for K-8 program for the urbanized areas of Marin with the goal of beginning the coordinated program by the 2019-2020 school year.
Additional Recommendations 2
These recommendations are not explicitly linked to specific findings.
-
R9Marin Transit should manage the development and operations of the coordinated YSB program beginning immediately, with the goal of initiating operations by the 2019-2020 school year.
-
R10The County and municipalities of the urbanized corridor should make financial support of all YSB programs a part of each year’s budgeting process.
Conclusions 8
-
CL1Efficiency of a centralized program.
-
CL2Increased transportation funds.
-
CL3Re-allocation of transit funds to YSB from less efficient routes. June 1, 2018 Marin County Civil Grand Jury Page 10 of 13 Yellow School Bus for Traffic Congestion Relief The main functions to be managed by Marin Transit, with the input from YSB Committee members, should include the following:
-
CL4Route planning: Ensure the most efficient use of buses and routes to maximize traffic reduction, use of buses, and customer (student/parent) satisfaction. This may include evaluation and adjustments of existing public transit routes to enhance the YSB program.
-
CL5Contract management: Vendor selection and contract negotiations and/or purchase or lease of buses and labor negotiations with drivers if applicable.
-
CL6Facility and maintenance planning: Prioritize efforts to locate and purchase a site for bus parking and maintenance and encourage the stakeholders to help with this process.
-
CL7Financial management: Determine costs and fees to the districts, billing and collection of bus pass fares.
-
CL8Communication: Create and manage online systems to provide real-time information to parents, operators and school districts.