Summer 2023
News and advice about school transportation this summer
Summer Rideshare UPDATE as of August 3, 2023
OPT is saying that they are not providing ride voucher codes for a one-time crisis such as an assigned para who calls out sick. The communication has NOT been proactive. In July when we asked again, OPT directed us to some general info, under Rideshare Overview and FAQs at https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer/grades-k-8
Then parents got in the newspaper, tweeted #WheresMyCode, and learned the actual process:
Save this site https://doe.tripslink.com
You need a 4 digit PIN so you can LogIn. 4 digit pin is auto generated by computer as a 2 step verification to the eligibility code.
Look on NYCSA for a voucher (code number) so you can Register. These codes either have SR for Summer Rising or RO for when there’s no para or no bus, followed by 6 digits.
It’s up to the parent or caregiver to set up the rides day by day as needed. Read the fine print about what is the soonest and latest you can put in a request, as that detail changed in July.
Also save the LimoSys support contact: 212.426.8000 and doe@limosys.com
[the phone menu has been updated to not only reflect access-a-ride anymore]
For more info the school can look up their OPT liaison at https://infohub.nyced.org/in-our-schools/operations/transportation-resources-for-schools (personnel may be slightly different for summer than it was in Spring). There is a place to click for Preschool Busing. Otherwise click For Public, Charter, and Non-Public Schools and then Contact Information for Transportation Liaisons.
— This concludes the update —
OPT starts creating summer routes in late May; parents were expected to inform the school of any change to home address for them to update ATS and therefore OPT by May 19 in order to be promised a route that will start on July 5. Otherwise your child will most likely have to be added to an existing route later, after the new address is processed.
Everyone who already has busing and will be going to their same campus for summer should automatically be routed – but follow up with school to be sure.
New OPT policy: all afternoon bus rides including non-public must pick up the students by 3:00 p.m. The impact of this:
a) certain schools where the school day lasts until 3:30 or 4:00 all year, and did so in every previous summer, are now forced to dismiss their bused students around 2:50 P.M. for the summer only.
b) any student enrolled in Summer Rising or other afterschool program that begins at 3:00 p.m. will need transportation arranged. DOE set aside money for this band-aid at the April PEP meeting but you need to work with your child’s school to get access and priority. They aren’t publicly sharing the step by step info on how it is supposed to work so BE PROACTIVE!
c) if the route picks up from many locations, the first ones will have to dismiss even earlier so that the last pickup is 3pm.
If the student’s summer program is in a different location than their ten-month school, Please contact the school of origin ASAP to find out what steps are needed to get routed correctly.
What if students don’t have busing now but need it for the summer location? We asked a Special Education Division representative about this in the May CCSE meeting and are waiting for a response. Follow our website and social media to be first to know.
To get route information: OPT is still not sending route letters by mail – try the home school or NYCSA if you can [ see info in the white box at https://www.pistnyc.org/resources/nycsaguides ].
In case the bus crew calls you with a change, it’s wise to answer your phone and check voicemail in the days leading up to July 5.
The route number, company, driver and monitor are probably different from who you have now.
We suggest you give children a chance to say goodbye.
Here is an outline of a social story about coping with this change https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oqlox14TnVAxwG8g7yVWa2ExaRw5kO_Md5t3L9iOVnU/edit?usp=sharing
You can make a copy and you or your student can put their name in the blanks and add illustrations. Reply if you have ideas to improve or translate this resource.
General info about travel to and from Summer Rising can be found under the Transportation heading at https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer/grades-k-8
It’s harder to find info for students in 9-12, please reply if you have sources.
Advocates for Children of NY has general info about this:
on video in English at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5AANIl2AGk&feature=youtu.be
on video in Spanish at https://youtu.be/r73YbKPHyIM
On Slides #20-23 in English at https://bit.ly/3LzhgKF
What if your student is not assigned a route? What if some day(s) the bus driver or bus para doesn’t appear, and no substitute is sent?
Detailed info on rideshare alternative is typically shared to school, CSE, STH staff, and district 75 administrators but not directly to parents. SEE SUMMER RIDESHARE UPDATE above.
Some advice on how to get help with rides and with reimbursement for driving your own child is at https://www.pistnyc.org/resources/no-show-bus We’ll update it as we learn more.
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Summer Rising SIDE NOTE: if you were offered a seat for a student with an IEP in the program, but then decided to send them somewhere else instead, please write to specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov
They announced that they will post a list of vacant spots in the program starting June 16 at nyc.gov/SummerRising which parents then have to track down, unless something changes…the people at ccse@schools.nyc.gov have other ideas. Get involved to make this make more sense.
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About School Bus Emergency Contact Card
Be ready to fill out an emergency contact card at first pickup, or get one ready using this tinyurl.com/buscontact
The last questions and signature on the bottom are crucial!! This shows who can receive the child and whether they can go inside by themself. If they can, but you don’t indicate so here, the bus may drop them back at school or at an NYPD precinct when they don’t see an adult waiting.
Translations of that information into 9 languages are on the back which our link includes […unlike the link at https://cdn-blob-prd.azureedge.net/prd-pws/docs/default-source/default-document-library/emergency-contact-card---school-bus.pdf
…What was DOE thinking? If you know someone at Central T&I please point this out.]