District transportation leaders said Thursday that 12 new stops have already been added in response to community feedback since middle and high school families gained access to their assignments through the district’s Bus Stop Finder earlier this week.<\/p>\n
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“Since we started that bus stop finder live on Monday morning, I had many emails of so many comments, which is very valid,” Austin ISD Transportation Executive Director Kris Hafezizadeh said. “Of course, to the eyes of the family, it is challenging. It is hard. Instead of going neighborhood stop, next block, now you have to be traveling to the next nearest hub.”<\/p>\n
\nFamilies raise concerns about new hub system <\/p>\n
Under the new system, middle and high school students will catch buses at centralized hubs instead of traditional neighborhood-level stops. Elementary school students will continue using neighborhood stops.<\/p>\n
Austin ISD has said hubs are generally located within 2.5 to 3 miles of students’ homes. The district said it will continue adjusting stops so the maximum distance to a hub does not exceed 3 miles.<\/p>\n
Some families told KVUE earlier this week that they were concerned about how students would safely reach their assigned hubs, particularly in areas with busy roads or limited sidewalks.<\/p>\n
Amy Whiteaker, an Austin ISD parent, previously told KVUE that her family’s assigned hub raised questions about whether using the bus would make sense.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I called Transportation this morning, they expect parents to drop their students off at this bus hub, and then the students will take the bus to school,” Whiteaker said. “Which begs the question, \u2018Why don\u2019t I just drop off my kid at school?\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The district said it is now evaluating feedback neighborhood by neighborhood, with particular attention to areas without established sidewalks.<\/p>\n
\nAustin ISD says hub system will save millions <\/p>\n
The changes come as Austin ISD faces financial challenges and rising transportation costs.<\/p>\n
District leaders said the new transportation model will allow Austin ISD to operate 27 fewer bus routes than it did last school year, saving approximately $5.2 million annually.<\/p>\n
\u201cStarting this school year, we have changed many things in our district for transportation, especially different strategies, and it’s all about cost savings and what else we could have done as a district to make sure we help our budget deficits, and this is one of the many ideas,\u201d Hafezizadeh said.<\/p>\n
The district said fewer routes will reduce costs associated with labor, fuel and mileage.<\/p>\n
“Instead of additional routes, additional mileage, which directly goes into impact of labor and fuel, we will be saving a lot of routes versus last the school year,” Hafezizadeh added.<\/p>\n
Hafezizadeh said returning to neighborhood-level stops for middle and high school students would undermine the savings the district is trying to achieve. He maintained that financial considerations are not being prioritized over student safety.<\/p>\n
“If we go back to the philosophy of creating neighborhood stops every where, then the idea of the, like to help our budget deficit overall, it will be defeated,” Hafezizadeh said. “It’s not that we put funds in front of the students safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nDistrict continues adding and evaluating hubs <\/p>\n
Austin ISD began developing the system months before families received their individual assignments.<\/p>\n
During the first phase of planning, from March through June, transportation leaders identified 191 potential hub stops. The district said it adapted principles previously used for its magnet transportation program and considered factors including walkability and neighborhood infrastructure.<\/p>\n
During the second phase, from June through July, the district worked to build its Bus Stop Finder data and test routes for pedestrian and traffic hazards. Ten additional hubs were identified, bringing the total to 201.<\/p>\n
Austin ISD said the current phase incorporates community feedback and real-world conditions. The district previously said an additional 41 hubs had been identified during that process, bringing the overall number to 242.<\/p>\n
At Thursday’s transportation update, district leaders said they have added 12 new stops in response to community feedback since families received access to their assignments earlier this week.<\/p>\n
The district said proposed changes are evaluated based on safety criteria as well as their financial impact.<\/p>\n
“Majority of the hubs, majority of the travels to and from the hubs are walkable, are safe,” Hafezizadeh said. “I mean, you know, but as I have stated, at some point, all of us must be responsible to make sure to and from the hubs are accommodated for our students.”<\/p>\n
\nWhat families should do before school starts <\/p>\n
Austin ISD is asking families to continue checking the Bus Stop Finder<\/a>, as hub locations and routes could change as the district reviews additional feedback.<\/p>\n Families can enter their home address and school into the Bus Stop Finder to see their assigned stop and pickup and drop-off times.<\/p>\n Parents and guardians who have concerns about an assigned hub can submit feedback through Austin ISD’s Transportation Hub Stops Survey.\u00a0<\/a>The district said changes or adjustments made to routes and hubs should appear in the Bus Stop Finder the following day.<\/p>\n