Last year my bus stop was right in front of my house. This year I walk 5 blocks down a busy 2 lane road, at 6:20 a.m. to catch my new bus stop. Why is this?
Some decisions have caused 50 bus stops in the Pinellas area to be eliminated. This is estimated to save around $2.25 million. This is a small cut of the $26 million needed.
“I’ve had the same bus stop since freshman year, now I have to walk a mile to get to it,” junior Matt Wilson said.
Not only are kids walking farther to their bus stops, some bus stops are putting kids alongside major highways and at major intersections. This is dangerous, especially during the early morning darkness.
According to John Grove on Lawyer Blog, Pinellas County Superintendent Julie Janssen said that parents are responsible “…when they choose to allow their children to go to a school that’s not their zoned school.” This was in regards to an incident when a Pinellas Park High School student was struck crossing a major intersection, while trying to catch their bus.
Eliminating bus stops have caused some stops to become overcrowded. Some students are beginning to notice this increase in roster size.
“I feel like there is no room for me to have my personal space,” junior Hugo Markopoulos said.
I don’t think that putting kid’s lives in danger is a good way to save money. Maybe their next meeting should be about how to raise money the safe way not necessarily the easy way.