power point: transportation information session, september 26, 2011, 430 p.m

8/4/2019 Power Point: Transportation Information Session, September 26, 2011, 430 p.m.

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Transportation Information

Session

September 26, 2011


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Purpose of Tonights Meeting

Provide information on transportation issues

Provide progress report

Obtain input on solutions


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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 significantlydifferent 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 routesrequire 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


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Transportation System Start of School Year Challenges

Changing enrollments-NPSD has had 500 changes of in-district 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, ridersselecting seats, driver familiarity with route, driversuggestions for better route, etc.).

Communication Challenges

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


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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


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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 thebus. 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-publicschools are small

Car riders mix with bus traffic and slow unloading


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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


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-$1,000.00

$0.00

$1,000.00

$2,000.00

$3,000.00

$4,000.00

$5,000.00

12

34

67

89

111

144

166

188

221

243

298

320

353

375

397

430

452

Nonpublic Transportation Cost per Student

North Penn


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$0.00

$500.00

$1,000.00

$1,500.00

$2,000.00

$2,500.00

$3,000.00

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

Nonpublic Transportation-Montgomery County

North Penn


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All MCTC Districts North Penn Total North Penn, NonpublicNorth Penn, Special

Education

Bus Runs 105 66 42 24

Shared Bus Runs 41 33 22 11

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

MCTC Bus Runs-Shared and Total for NPSD

Bus Runs

Shared Bus Runs


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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 somesituations, this has been used successfully in the past.)


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Issue: Late arrival in the morning for

out-of-district nonpublic studentsSchools-Nonpublic out-of-

district

Solution Effective Date

Ancillae Assumpta

Academy

Add 1 bus September 12

Penn View Christian, Grace

Christian, Souderton

Charter

Add 2 vans for Souderton Charter due

to widespread geographic location of 9

students; for remaining schools, add 1

bus and revise routes

September 21

LaSalle, Mt. St. Josephs,

Phil-Mont Academy

Split schools; reuse shuttle transfer

approach in morning and direct

bussing home in afternoon

September 22

Gwenydd Mercy

Elementary and High

School, St. Rose of Lima

Add 2 busses, revise all routes September 23


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Issue: Late arrival in the morning for out-

of-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 toreduce busses/vans used for immediate solutions


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Issue: Late arrival in the morning for out-

of-district special education students

Special Education Schools,

out-of-district


Pathway Driver suggested less congested

route on fourth day

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;

September 15

Huntington Valley Advanced pickup times by 10

minutes

September 23


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Issue: Late arrival in the morning for in-

district 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 toreduce busses/vans used for immediate solutions


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district special education students

Special Education Schools,

in-district


Pennbrook Middle School Add 1 bus to 3 others

originally scheduled

September 22

North Wales Elementary

School

Add 1 bus to 2 others


September 22

Kulp Elementary School Add 1 bus to 3 others


September 19

Hatfield Added 1 van already used

at Penndale to solve

lateness at Hatfield

September 23


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district nonpublic students

Nonpublic Schools, in-

district

Solution Effective date

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 theirPennfield runs to reduce

number of stops (Bus 118, Bus

139); Bus FS-233 pickup times

advanced by 5 minutes

Bus 75 within 3 days of

start of school; worked

with principal on all other

situations includingdropping riders driven by

parents who are teachers

MMR-Tier 3 Adjusted bus run times of

previous school allowing MMR

busses to run earlier also

As soon as aware; notified

riders by handouts

distributed on bus 2 days

before effective date;

worked with nonpublic

school administration


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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: 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.


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School Solution Effective Date

High school None, because arrival time

is set 20 to 25 minutes

before bell time due to

traffic congestion

Middle school 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

Elementary school Adjust bus times by 5 or 10

minutes on about 25

busses

September 26, 2011


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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 remixingbased on last dropoff point from prior run

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


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Issue: Late arrival in the afternoon for in-



High school None since it is first tier in

afternoon

Middle school 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

Elementary school Identify specific buscausing lateness; improve

timing of specific bus by

redistributing loads/stops

among other busses at that

school

September 6 to 23


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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 previouslycontracted

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


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Issue: Late arrival in the afternoon for in-

district nonpublic students


High school None since it is first tier in

afternoon

St. Stanislaus-Tier 3 Added bus 75 after its

Northbridge run;

addressed specific busses

that were late by using

busses with 2 tiers allowing

them to start earlier

Bus 75 effective September

21

Mary Mother of the

Redeemer

Added bus 94 after its

Northbridge run


21Corpus Christi Bus 37 was late requiring

us to use bus without prior

run


23


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Bus Routing TimelineCost 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, leasttotal 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 oftime 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


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36%

96%

90%

62%

85%

49%

67%

43%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

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

Kulp AM

% of Capacity


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99%

63%64%

58%

83%

63%

79%

65%

72%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

120%

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

Gwynedd Square AM

% of Capacity


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75%

36%

75%

64%

67%

64%

71%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

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

Oak Park AM

% of Capacity

power point: transportation information session, september 26, 2011, 430 p.m

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