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Student Transit Programs and Other Modes-to-School in California
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2025-04-28
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[PDF-3.77 MB]
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Abstract:The school bus remains an important part of providing children a ride to school in the United States. In most of the country, nearly four in ten students rely on the school bus. But in California, less than ten percent of students take the school bus, with parental chauffeuring making up most of the difference. Scholars and policymakers alike have looked to public transit as a means of bridging this gap, but research about the feasibility and observed use of this option for K-12 students is limited. Is transit a solution for California public school students’ access to education? To understand this broader question, we consider two research questions: How do the transportation service options for students and families — both traditional school bus and public transit fare pass programs — vary between school district areas in California? And how do student travel behaviors for school trips vary across socio-demographic and school district characteristics? We find that while 70 percent of school districts provide school bus service, only 31 percent of students are eligible for school bus use. Subsidized student transit pass programs (free or discounted) are widespread across the state. California students in rural areas and small towns, as well as students who are Black or Latino, rely more on the school bus than others. The per-day median time cost of students to shift from the school bus to public transit would be 44 minutes for elementary, 62 minutes for middle school, and 76 minutes for high school. Findings can help state and local school transportation officials consider the most efficient and appropriate means of travel for the students they serve.
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