SCHOOL BUSES ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT VEHICULAR TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOL
Picking up and dropping off kids at school can be a major source of traffic congestion and vehicle emissions for our community. Riding your assigned school bus or filling extra seats in your car on the way to and from school means fewer drivers, fewer cars, less vehicle emissions and less road congestion.
The CMS school bus fleet is one of the most efficient and safest means for students to travel to and from school. CMS school buses keep an estimated 56,000 cars off roads surrounding schools each morning which saves our community 7 million gallons of fuel and 155.4 million pounds carbon equivalent emissions annually. For a discussion on air quality and vehicle emissions visit the Air Quality Attainment webpage linked on the left of this page.
TIPS FOR CARPOOLERS
If you decide to participate in coordinating a car pool you need to consider the types of questions to ask potential carpool partners about the operation of your carpool. Potential questions could include, for instance:
- Will other licensed drivers also drive in the carpool?
- Will carpool riders pitch in for gas, will it be on a weekly or monthly basis?
- How flexible are potential partners in terms of the carpool's schedule? 5, 10, 15 minutes earlier or later?
- How will the driver know if a rider will not be riding one or both ways on a given day?
- How will the riders know if the driver can not drive on a given day?
- What happens if someone must stay late?
After you find acceptable carpool partners, take some time to discuss what you think is proper car etiquette. The ride will be much smoother and sustainable if everyone’s expectations are known up front.
- Can passengers read, talk on the phone or listen to music?
- How about eating breakfast -- can passengers or the driver eat in the car?
- Must the driver have a clean driving record before getting behind the wheel?
- Does the driver choose what goes on the radio or does the choice rotate?
- Can carpoolers use their cell phones during the ride?
Car pooling may not be as convenient for some as riding the school bus, but does benefit carpool partners and the community as a whole!
CarpoolAssist
To provide an alternate option to those whose schedules do not allow riding the school bus, CMS is piloting a provisional partnership with CarpoolAssist.com. Through CarpoolAssist students, parents and staff may connect with each other for the purpose of travelling to and from a specific school . This service is is free to users and is accessible at the link below. CarpoolAssist is an independent service provider and is not affiliated with CMS.
Click here for the CarpoolAssist.com website >>> www.carpoolassist.com <<<
DISCLAIMER
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and the Environmental Management Department assume no responsibility for any errors, omission, delay, damage, and/or injury due to use of the CarpoolAssist.com system. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools assumes no liability whatsoever, for the loss or damage to any vehicle and/ or its contents, or for injury to or death of any person, which arises in the course of, in connection with or as a result of the Carpool Program, including, without limitation, vehicle accidents, driving infractions and incidents involving carpool participants. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is not responsible for ensuring the quality or licensing of drivers that participate in the Carpool Program, or for ensuring that vehicles of participants are road worthy and properly insured.