Stop-to-School (GE) Busing

According to Chancellor's Regulation A-801, transportation eligibility for children who are not mandated for door-to-door transportation because of their IEP (Individualized Education Program), is determined on the basis of the student's grade level and the distance between the student's residence and school. The table below shows how student eligibility is determined. 

 

DISTANCE FROM RESIDENCE TO SCHOOL

Less than ½ mile

A*

½ mile or more, but less than 1 mile

B*

1 mile or more but less than 1½ miles

C*

1½ miles or more

D*

GRADE

LEVEL

K-2

Not Eligible**  

Eligible for Full Fare Transportation

3-6

Transportation  Not Provided

 

    
7-12

Not Eligible**


For example, reading this table will show that:
  • A first-grader who lives 3/4 of a mile from school is eligible for full fare transportation.
  • An eighth-grader who lives one mile from school is not eligible for full fare transportation.

* The A, B, C, and D designations are used by DOE computers to indicate these distance groups.
** Students in these categories are not eligible for full fare transportation. These students may receive a half fare student MetroCard good for use on buses only. These half fare MetroCards are provided as a courtesy by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).

 FULL FARE TRANSPORTATION


The green area in the chart represents students eligible for full fare transportation. Students who are eligible for full fare transportation can receive either yellow bus transportation or a full fare student MetroCard.

FULL FARE TRANSPORTATION—Yellow Bus Service
Yellow bus service is provided from designated stops at designated times to and from schools receiving this service. In order for a student to receive yellow bus service, all of the following criteria must be met:

  1. The student must be eligible for full fare transportation as shown in the chart above.
  2. The student's school must have yellow bus service.
  3. The student must be in grades K-6.
  4. The student's residence must be in the same district as the school (if attending a public school) or the same borough (if attending a charter or non-public school).***
  5. The bus route must have at least eleven students.
  6. The bus must travel on a route that travels no more than five miles from its first stop, through all of the stops on the route, to the schools.

If all of the above criteria are met, students may request yellow bus service at their school. Eligible students may be assigned to a bus stop by the school if a stop exists or can be created within their grade and distance eligibility. Students must use the same stop both in the morning and the afternoon.

***Admission to a gifted and talented program or school does not guarantee a student yellow bus transportation. Eligibility for yellow bus transportation for general education students attending gifted and talented schools and programs is based on the same criteria that apply to public school general education students as indicated above. Students attending one of the citywide gifted and talented schools are eligible for busing if they live in the same borough and the route, as measured by bus stops, is no longer than five miles.

FULL FARE TRANSPORTATION—MetroCard
Any student who is eligible for full fare transportation may be issued a full fare student MetroCard if that student requests a card or if yellow bus transportation is not available for that student. MetroCards are typically used by students in grade 7 and above (none of whom can receive yellow busing) and by students for whom yellow bus service is not available because, for example, the school does not have bus service, or there are not enough students for a route, or because the student lives beyond five miles. Student MetroCards are issued by the school transportation office.

HALF FARE TRANSPORTATION


The blue area in the chart represents students who are not eligible for full fare transportation (either yellow bus or full fare MetroCard) but may receive a half fare student MetroCard.

HALF FARE TRANSPORTATION
Students not eligible for full fare transportation may be issued a half fare student MetroCard by the office in their school that distributes MetroCards. Half fare MetroCards are provided as a courtesy by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and are good for use on buses only.

More Information About Student MetroCards

Frequently Asked Questions About Eligibility