As families gear up for the start of a new school year, it also means drivers are preparing for back-to-school traffic congestion. The school traffic creates a major headache for other commuters since the school transportation makes roads that should be easy to travel much more congested than they are during the summer months or the hours during the school day.
Here’s the sad truth – this nightmare could be solved if more families took advantage of school transportation options and carpooling.
Alarming Statistics Regarding Private Transportation
According to a study completed by the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, “over 50 million children traveled to school—54.2% were usually driven in a private vehicle, 33.2% took a school bus, and 10.4% walked.” Over half of the students traveling to school travel there in private vehicles! No wonder the roads are so congested!
Not a Matter of Distance
If you think these numbers are high because of the distance, you are wrong. For example, the same study found that even those students who live less than a mile from the school are being driven to school in private vehicles rather than walking or biking. Likewise, since school transportation is only provided to those who live further than a mile from schools, you’d expect the number of bus riders to increase. Wrong.
The numbers show there is little increase either way. For example, of those who live less than one mile from school, 55.9% arrive in a private vehicle; and of those who live 2 or more miles from school, 56.2% arrive in a private vehicle.
But what about the school buses? You will probably be shocked to learn that only about a third of students travel to and from school on school buses. The study found “over half of the trips to school on the travel day have been in private vehicles, about one-third have been in school buses, and about one-tenth have been by walking and/or biking.”
It’s important to note that many parents feel they have no other option but to drive their kids to school in a private vehicle. For example, some children do not live far enough away to be granted free school transportation even when traveling to school by walking or biking requires them to dangerously cross major highways. However, as you will see, parents can still decrease the number of private vehicles on the road by carpooling.
The Private School Transportation and Charter School Transportation Issue
In addition to the large percentage of public school students being driven to school in private vehicles, we should also consider the number of students who attend private schools or charter schools. Private school and charter school enrollment is on the rise.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, charter school enrollment is growing significantly – with a higher percentage of charter schools located in cities. Neither is required to provide school transportation, which means the majority of their students are driven to and from school in private vehicles. Hence, even more traffic on already congested streets.
Why Carpools are a Better Alternative for Our Cities
Let’s get real. School transportation is a problem, and we have the means to do something about it. Whether your child does not live far enough for free public school transportation or your child attends a school that does not offer school transportation, you can alleviate some of the school traffic by carpooling. Plus, carpooling is better all around!
- Better traffic – Fewer vehicles on the road means less traffic.
- Better for the environment – Fewer vehicles on the road means fewer pollution emissions.
- Better for your wallet – Less driving means spending less money on gas.
- Better for your vehicle – Less driving means less wear and tear on your vehicle.
- Better for your kids – Less solo single-ride time means more time developing relationships with classmates in a carpool.
GoKid has apps in the AppStore and Google Play Store that let parents easily set up and manage carpools. Plus for schools, we are licensing our school product GoKid Connect, which helps families easily find other families that live close by.
GoKid is doing all we can to help parents, cities, and the environment. With over 3 million miles of driving already saved through carpooling and over 300,000 rides scheduled, GoKid is making it easier for parents to do their part. And, GoKid families are doing their part for the environment – 5+ million pounds of CO2 already reduced!
