Seeing yellow on Monday and Friday

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  • #604568

    sbre
    Participant

    Just a heads-up about additional traffic on the streets of Seattle this coming Monday and Friday, those are the days the buses who drive for the SPS will be on the roads doing our dry-runs.

    Starting at our normal times (as early as 5:30ish) we will be driving the routes we will be servicing during this coming school year.

    These routes are new to us and we need to drive them all to check to make sure all the left and right turns and the streets they have us traveling on really do work to SAFELY get us and our charges where we need to go, as well as any problem areas or obstacles (tree limbs and the like).

    There will most likely be many buses doing the same thing during the middle of the week as well, however M & F are going to be the busy ones.

    Thank you in advance for your support and patience, we want this to run as smoothly as possible and how the cars around us respond to our presence make a huge difference on the out come.

    #768346

    JanS
    Participant

    thanks for the heads up :)

    #768347

    anonyme
    Participant

    They were in my neighborhood last week, doing training on a street that is off limits to large school buses. It’s a problem every year. Is Gail Heaton still the contact person for such issues? We are talking about First Student, correct?

    #768348

    grog
    Participant

    Yo sbre, this is good to know, thanks for the fore-warning.

    I have a lot of respect for you all who drive school buses as I KNOW how crazy it can get, you (and Metro buses) will always get the right-of-way from me.

    Have a good year!

    ******

    anonyme~why would that street (your street?) be off limits to school buses?

    I’m sure there must be a good reason but can’t come up with one.

    #768349

    anonyme
    Participant

    Almost every E/W street off 35th is an arterial. Buses were heavily using a non-arterial street for deadheading. No kids being picked up or dropped off on the street, and no good reason for buses to be using it when many arterial options were available. We (the neighbors) contacted SDOT – who put up a local access only/5T limit sign up, and First Student, who have asked that drives not use the street not for large buses.

    The noise, disruption and safety issues were of concern. Some of us have very little right of way (and no sidewalk) in the area where we enter our property, and buses were swinging wide and fast around the corner – barely missing pedestrians. Good enough reason, IMO.

    #768350

    grog
    Participant

    So, ‘not in my front yard’!

    I need more convincing.

    #768351

    anonyme
    Participant

    This issue not only has NO effect on you whatsoever, but NO negative effect on anyone, anywhere. You were given a detailed, respectful answer – despite the fact that it’s none of your concern.

    I suspected before answering that you were a troll, but gave you the benefit of the doubt. Suspicions confirmed; you can put wings on a pig, but it’s still a pig. Or, in this case, a troll.

    #768352

    grog
    Participant

    “Sticks and stones…” name caller.

    I invite you to click on my profile and read all the post’s I’ve made here, you’ll see how far off base your assesment of me is.

    However if you don’t, oh well, it is what it is and my heart and face will continue to smile.

    #768353

    grog
    Participant

    Hey sbre, how’s your route diving go today?

    I don’t know if I saw you but I did see a number of buses and did what I could to help them in traffic when the timing was right.

    It was a little scary to see them driving with pieces of paper in one hand while controlling their bus with the other, but I figured that they were following the directions of their new routes and this is the only way you know where to go.

    Anyway, hope it went well for you and your cohorts. Good luck and maybe I’ll see you out there on Friday.

    #768354

    sbre
    Participant

    grog, thanks for checking in.

    My routes went well although do need to get a few parts revised for safety reasons and speak to one home owner about removing a few branches so I can see on-coming traffic when making a left turn onto Admiral (speedway).

    As you surmised, driving with our “lefts and rights” pages in hand in very necessary, and myself like most drivers, will need to continue the practice for the first week or so of school until we memorize our routes.

    Thanks for being an advocate for us on the road, every little bit helps while negotiating 40′ of (potentially killer) tonnage on our city streets WITH dozens of other peoples children in tow.

    I hope your support becomes contagious.

    To me, it’s all about the kids!!!

    #768355

    sbre
    Participant

    anonyme~Yes Gail is still in charge of First Student in Seattle.

    I’m sure she will respond to your issue(s) when she returns from maternity leave.

    Super cute twins!!!

    #768356

    anonyme
    Participant

    Actually, Tony Hartzell has been very, very helpful the last few years. Gail has a lot on her plate already; sounds like she just added another helping! Congratulations, Gail!

    #768357

    2krazy4words
    Participant

    Tony is North lot now … drivers do get reminders … not sure of your street, but it could be the new trainers don’t know … I believe it is noted on route sheets (for the regular driver to know), so if they’ve never done those routes they may not know.

    #768358

    luckymom30
    Participant

    Drivers should also be reminded to turn off the engines and not idling fuming up the neighborhood. Every year I see school bus drivers sitting reading newspapers while the engines runs for no good reason.

    #768359

    sbre
    Participant

    Bump.

    Love this job, but DAMN the necessary 4:30 alarm!!!

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