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September 3, 2008 at 6:18 pm #587953
WSHSparentMemberI wondered how Metro was going to handle transporting middle and high school students and if this morning is an example, we’re in for BIG trouble. A large group of students were passed by at 7:35 a.m. by the #128 at the corner of Delridge and Sylvan Way S.W.because the bus was already FULL. I was able to pick up 3 of them and get them to school on time, but there were probably 2 dozen that I couldn’t fit into my car.
How did the SSD expect Metro to handle the volume, especially during rush hour? I wrote to the superintendent and received a reply that they were forwarding the information to Transportation Manager, Tom Bishop for his review.
Anyone else have trouble?
September 3, 2008 at 10:55 pm #637120
GenHillOneParticipantWe saw overflowing stops this morning too, including the one you mention. Sealth parents found out yesterday that they are putting some yellow busses there this year, presumably while at the Boren location (unless Metro routes change). It was good news because there were lots of “can’t get there from here” stories from parents. Some kids would have had to go downtown and back! We personally had a pretty decent route, but it still included walking and a transfer.
When Sealth goes back to Thistle, Metro routes should loosen up with better access to California, 35th and Delridge, but I’ll be curious to hear what kind of response you get from the district. As the middle schools join the mix, I can’t imagine that having to add Metro busses – which sounds necessary now – will be any less expensive than the yellow ones.
September 4, 2008 at 9:02 am #637121
WSBKeymasterWould love to hear any followup you get or don’t get, sounds like a news story
Also – whether things get better after a few days, or a week or two.
September 4, 2008 at 2:30 pm #637122
WSHSparentMemberWhat follows is my email to Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and the reply that I received. I don’t expect to receive any other communication from the district…
September 3, 2008
Dear Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson,
DAY ONE: 2008-2009 school year at WSHS:
This morning my daughter received a call from one of her classmates who was trying to catch a #128 bus heading toward WSHS on the corner of Delridge and Sylvan Way S.W. She called us at 7:35 a.m. and the metro bus had just passed her (and a large crowd of students) by as it was completely FULL. I volunteered to pick her up and transport her to school along with a couple of other students heading for WSHS. They made it to school on time today, but I won’t be available to help in the future.
Please address this problem, as I suspect that these students’ experience isn’t an isolated incident. It appears that Metro isn’t able to handle the huge increase in volume.
Thank you.
Sent on behalf of the Superintendent :
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Your email is being forwarded to Transportation Manager, Tom Bishop, for his review.
September 4, 2008 at 2:56 pm #637123
GenHillOneParticipant“field report” – We were a couple of minutes earlier today so saw the Delridge/Sylvan stop at 7:25. There were about half the number of kids there and saw the #128 come, but didn’t see if they were able to get on. On leaving school, I did see the #120 (southbound) drop off 20-30 Sealth students at Delridge & Juneau. That is going against the commute, I wonder what happens with a northbound #120. Since Sealth has the yellow busses and is not, I don’t think, offering Metro passes, my guess is that these are kids in the “walk zone” – living within the 2.5 mile radius. Yes they’re young and can walk that far, but it is a good distance. We know families who live near the Thistle location and those students bought their own passes and are taking the bus down Delridge. That radius has been standard for awhile, but the yellow busses have only been phased out in the last couple of years. I can only imagine that the Metro-only schools are greatly impacting the system. How have the other Seattle high schools managed this in the past? What do the California and Admiral bus stops look like when school lets out – are there hundreds of kids??
September 4, 2008 at 3:06 pm #637124
KatHPMemberMy daughter also attends WSHS and had difficulty with the Metro bus system. She arrived at the bus stop with plenty of time at 16th and Holden yesterday morning to catch the #128. She reported that the driver allowed 3/4 of the students on, then said no more since the bus was full.
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She also said on the return trip home using the #128 the first Metro bus was completely full. She and her friend walked north from school to the stop near the Admiral Theater and were able to get on the next #128. However, by the time this bus got to the stop directly across from WSHS it was full, and had to pass on picking up any more students.
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I sent off an email to Superintendent Goodloe-Johnson yesterday evening and imagine I’ll receive the same response as those that have already written her.
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On a related note, I feel for those regular commuters (and the driver) that have to take the bus with these children. I’m sure a fraction is well-behaved, but the inevitable “groupthink” and craziness that ensues when a large group of adolescents are in the same, small confined area is not enjoyable for the average person to be around. My daughter described a chaotic scene on the return trip home, with some students having a “skittle fight” toward the back of the bus. Nice.
September 4, 2008 at 4:10 pm #637125
austinMemberYeesh I’m glad I’ve been riding my bike lately.
I have fond memories of my high school bus commute involving on-bus food fights, constant yelling, kids climbing over and under the seats, the bus driver having to pull over and play disciplinarian multiple times throughout the trip home/to school, etc. Is this what metro is going to become, only worse, since the bus drivers can’t really intervene? And what happens to the students not allowed on the full buses? Are they still being marked tardy despite the cause of their lateness being foolhardy decisions on behalf of the district? This seems like a terrible idea for everyone concerned.
September 4, 2008 at 10:47 pm #637126
GenHillOneParticipantOy, by fluke I got to see the Metro stops outside of Sealth today. Both directions of the #120s were packed; I saw a few go by while in the parking lot. The kids came out in waves with about 20 waiting at a time, but when we left, northbound stop had no less than 40 (everyone behaving themselves I should add!). Story was that two buddies waited through 4 busses yesterday afternoon going south. These are only students in the WALK ZONE. I have great sympathy for WSHS and the regular commuters.
September 8, 2008 at 3:15 pm #637127
CaduceusMemberYay bicycles!
September 16, 2008 at 9:13 pm #637128
WSratsinacageMemberAnyone hear back from the superintendant besides “we’re looking into it?”
September 17, 2008 at 3:27 am #637129
WSHSparentMemberI called Metro and spoke with a woman in their Customer Relations Dept. She said that Metro may add more buses starting around Sept. 20th. As far as I have heard, kids are left to scramble for rides with their friends and/or going to different bus stops a stop or two before the stops near the schools just so they can get on. One #128 driver that I spoke with who parks by Lafayette Elementary told me that after just two stops, his bus is full.
September 17, 2008 at 4:11 am #637130
WSBKeymasterThe potential addition of buses was mentioned in passing at tonight’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council meeting. I’m calling Metro in the morning to find out what they officially have to say — TR
September 17, 2008 at 4:46 am #637131
miwsParticipantWhat METRO may also have to look at doing, is putting articulated coaches on the 128, if available, or if they can justify route 128 needing them more than another route if they don’t have any “extra” coaches.
Currently, they just run the standard 40ft coaches.
Mike
September 17, 2008 at 5:20 am #637132
JeraldParticipantMy kids and their friends who go to Garfield HS are all driving or carpooling to school now that they don’t have yellow buses. The Metro commute is insane, considering how early they have to leave and how little bus space there is on the final leg to the school. So now there are more cars on the road.
September 17, 2008 at 3:19 pm #637133
KatHPMemberThanks for reviving this issue again. I received no response at all to my email sent to the school Superintendent. I’ll be curious to know what you find out, lowmanbeach.
September 18, 2008 at 12:33 am #637134
WSBKeymasterThe guy who’s handling this for Metro has to confer with a Seattle Public Schools person who’s back tomorrow after some time off, then I’ll get info – will post here as well as in a home-page news story … TR
September 18, 2008 at 11:36 pm #637135
WSBKeymasterOK, while I wait for double clarification from the Metro contact, here’s what he basically told me:
They added two Metro buses each to West Seattle HS and Garfield HS routes. However, that ends on Sept. 30th because Metro doesn’t have the money.
Sealth, they had no buses left to add.
The district is supplementing (as mentioned above) with yellow buses and evaluating overall strategy.
And I have a very long explanation (which I will include in the story so that those interested can read it) about how they got into this mess, gas prices putting more people on buses than they expected etc. etc. etc.
September 19, 2008 at 8:08 pm #637136
rawgeneMemberMy daughter started taking the bus on Wednesday Sept 17th, she attends WSHS. Her stop is 35th and Morgan. The first bus at 7:20 passed her because it was too full. The second bus at 7:58 stopped and she arrived at school at 8:20. Thursday the 7:00 bus let her on. Today the 7:00 bus was too full. The 7:20 bus picked her up. On Wed I called Metro and filed a complaint. The response was “oh yeah. That route has a lot of complaints.” Yesterday I e-mailed vice-prinicials Jenni M and Anitra J. No response. Today I e-mailed them plus Bruce. I’m told to continue to complain to Metro. Bruce responded back and told me that he was working downtown with Thomas Bishop (Transportation Manager) and Ammon McWashington (Director of Student Support Services) I called Ammon and left a message but missed his return call. I did contact Thomas Bishop who blew me off. He is aware of the 128 situation and says maybe I need to get my daughter to the bus stop earlier. So I break it down by bus times now he has to go because he is in a meeting. So….here is the deal…There are enough of us that I think that we need to unite. The WSHS PTSA meeting is scheduled Wednesday September 24th at 7:00. I will be there but if any of you and other parents also having difficulty could show up it would make a better statement that we want this situation fixed NOW. I would like to push yellow bus service in place of Metro for 128 riders. What do the rest of you think about that?
October 2, 2008 at 12:47 am #637137
WSHSparentMemberWhen I got on a #128 bus early this afternoon, the driver was upset because a student didn’t have his October bus pass. He pushed the issue and refused to move the bus until the student came up with the needed 25 cents, which I ended up giving him. I’ve heard that the lines are LONG for students at WSHS waiting to pick up their bus passes…can’t the school streamline that process?
Also, today my daughter’s friend got on a #128 around 3 p.m. and because of some rowdy kids letting off “stink” bombs, the police were called and she had to get off at a stop about a mile from her regular stop.
The parents/students are frustrated; the Metro drivers are frustrated; the adults who can’t get on a bus because it’s packed are frustrated! It seems to me that the Seattle School District has really dropped the ball on transportation and this is leaving the door open to all sorts of problems. I urge all the parents/students affected by this change to voice their concerns to the Superintendent of Seattle Schools, Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson (who will then shuffle it off to the Transportation Manager!!) You can email her at superintendent@seattleschools.org.
Who WILL take the responsibility for transporting our students safely and efficiently?
October 2, 2008 at 1:44 am #637138
miwsParticipantI think you may be on the right track in laying most of the blame on the school district, WSHSparent.
I thought of this when I made my earlier post, but didn’t say anything since I don’t have the info or facts to back it up.
I remember hearing earlier this year that SSD would be dropping the yellow bus service, and that METRO would be picking up the slack, but how much more notice than that, did METRO have?
Even if they had much earlier notice, it’s not so simple as firing up a few more buses. For one, the buses need to be available. And, so do the drivers. During the commute hours, both of those are likely stretched as far as they can be.
As I mentioned before, they might be able to use articulated coaches on the 128, but those would have to be pulled from other routes, and/or possibly shifted to other METRO bases. Pulling them off of other routes and replacing them with standard 40ft coaches, could negatively affect those other routes.
The only thing METRO may have been guilty of, is if they said “No problem. We can handle it.
But then again, being a public transit agency, they would not have been able to flat out refuse.
Mike
October 2, 2008 at 7:45 am #637139
credmondParticipantStill happy with your school board?
October 2, 2008 at 5:33 pm #637140
AmberKParticipantI work downtown, and I commute on the 120. I and a stop full of commuters have been passed by full buses at least twice since Sealth’s temporary school on Deliridge opened – thus reaching work late. Each other day, buses are standing room only, and not just to the school. Some students get on at Sealth/Boren to go somewhere downtown. I have free parking available at my workplace, but have until now chosen to ride the bus in order to do my part for the environment. These crowded, rowdy, unpredictable conditions are not acceptable and I am seriously considering driving from here on.
October 3, 2008 at 6:01 pm #637141
KatHPMemberrawgene, I regret that I didn’t see your post until now. Was there much discussion at the WSHS PTA meeting about the transportation issue?
Also, WSHSParent, my daughter was among those on the #128 when some punk let off a “stink bomb” (what is that, exactly?) earlier this week. She was definitely not happy about the long walk home and even more disgusted with some of the kids on the bus.
This is an understatement, but SPS should really have put more thought into this transporation issue. No one can reasonably expect Metro drivers to be forced into the position of disciplinarians of unruly high-school aged kids, and the impact on other regular, non-student bus commuters is beyond frustrating.
I wonder if these similar issues surfaced when other SPS High Schools switched from yellow bus to Metro last year? Or – I hope this isn’t the case – is it that the population of our West Seattle high schools is unique in some unfortunate way?
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