ST. LOUIS — We are just five days away from the first day of school for St. Louis Public Schools.
SLPS high school students will flood the Metro Transit system on Monday morning, thanks to a new transportation deal.
Metro Transit is sharing its plan to get those students to class on time and safely.
On Tuesday, the St. Louis Public School Board of Education released new transportation numbers:
- 6,400 students will use yellow buses.
- 6,200 students will use vans, sedans, cabs and SUVs.
- 1,446 students will use public transit. All the information students and families need is available on Metro Transit's website.
SLPS Chief Operations Officer Square Watson said the district is busy ensuring all students arrive safely.
5 On Your Side has heard from many concerned SLPS parents about their high school students riding the Metro Bus to school every day.
"Many parents are concerned about the routes that their students will be taking, how long it's going to take to get there, those kinds of things," said Charles Stewart, Metro Transit's Chief Operating Officer.
Metro Transit released a statement Tuesday night, saying their goal is to help these teens plan their trips to school so navigating public transportation next week is as easy as possible.
"We've been working with the school district for the last several weeks, making sure that we have things coordinated in terms of how we will be providing the bus service, as well as how our security will supplement their security in this process. So all those things have been worked out, and we're ready to go," said Stewart.
Stewart said some students and parents may have never taken a Metro Bus for transportation. That's why the agency is giving parents a free day pass for one day this week to help their teens prepare.
"We're encouraging parents to figure out where their kids are going to catch the bus and learn the routes. We have an opportunity for them to ride along with their high school student before Monday. We want them to be prepared so we have teams ready to help parents and students plan their bus trips, to determine what MetroBus route to take, where the closest bus stop is to their home, and what time the bus arrives at the stop and at school," Stewart said.
Metro Transit also created a "How to Ride" video and flyer for high school students and their parents. Stewart said the video details how students can ride the bus and how to get a route map for their journey from home to school.
The video is posted on the SLPS website, and the video and flyer are also available on the Metro website under the Student Passes tab.
Stewart said very few students will be riding the Metrolink, and most will take metro buses.
"We also have to serve our normal customers. We don't want to inconvenience them. They will all be co-mingled on the system. So we have to ensure that we provide the best service possible for our existing customers and our students," said Stewart.
A huge concern for SLPS parents is their teens' safety when riding the Metro bus.
"Our drivers are well trained. We've done background checks, drug tests, everything, and certification in terms of CDLs. So we have a professional operator team. They've done this before. They are looking forward to doing it. This is our city. These are our kids, and we're looking forward to helping out the school district," Stewart said.
As for security on the buses, Stewart said they have security patrol their routes every day and will be doing that for the students.
"If there's an additional need, we will provide it during this service. For the St. Louis Public Schools, we have asked their security to be available in areas with larger concentrations of students, especially after school. We're asking their security team to help us in those situations," he said.
The School District's Director of Safety and Security, Col. DeAndre Davis, said Metro Transit talked to them about the limited security staff that they may have.
In supporting them, Davis said, "We've vetted most of those bus stops. We found some of those stops that were a concern for us, where we need to really concentrate on. So those stops along those routes, we're going to handle."
If you're a commuter concerned about overcrowding during the school year, Metro Transit said it will add buses if they have staff.
The school district must pay for any extra service required on regular routes.
"Metro has agreed to provide security along some of those routes as much as possible. Then, we'll supplement that security with our presence and respond to the calls that happen on the bus," Davis said.
Stewart says parents are anxious because "they don't know what their students will be experiencing. Call us, ask us, and let us help you understand your student's route."
Parents who want to obtain a day pass for this week should contact Metro Transit Customer Service at 314-982-1406 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.