School Bus Transportation
Key safety reminders for riding the bus
- Please arrive at the bus stop five minutes prior to the scheduled time in the morning.
- Elementary families: please make sure you have a Return Home plan on file with your school.
- Please read more about transportation safety at our Transportation FAQ webpage, including safety for young children.
How do I find my regular bus route?
We use for bus route information. Once in you can type in your address and click search to locate your bus stop (and snow route stop.)
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
How do I find my snow bus route?
Snow bus routes are also posted on our Snow Routes webpage. Search for a snow route by clicking on your school. If you have more questions, visit our Weather Procedures and Snow Routes webpage.
Ready to Ride
Watch the video below to learn more about bus expectations and safety.
For more safety tips visit our Safety To and From School webpage.
Other ways to get to and from school
Students living within a one-mile radius from school are expected to walk or bike to school. This is a straight-line, "as the crow flies", one-mile walking distance and should take approximately 20-30 minutes walking one way (this is an approximation of child's walking pace of 3 mph). To see whether your child is on a walk route, please check.
Sixty minutes is the recommended amount of physical activity time for kids and teenagers every day.Increasing physical activity has positive effects on learning, physical and mental health. Walking or biking to and from school is a great way to incorporate more physical activity into the day.
For safety tips visitSafetyToand From School.
Walking Routes
The district partners with the City of 鶹Ժ to support families with identifying school walk routes that are within one-mile of the school.
Biking is a wonderful way for kids to be more physically active, get to and from school quickly, and learn more about independent transportation.
When biking be sure to stay safe– wear bright colors and a helmet,turn on your bike lights, and follow the rules of the road.
For more safety tips visitourSafetyToand From Schoolwebpage.
The City of 鶹Ժ has been working to make our streets safer for bikes –for streets that are better to bike on and plan your route with Google maps. By selecting the bike as your travel option, Google maps will prioritize routes that are better for bikes.
Checkout thesemade byandlook intothe classes they hold to help Whatcom County bike riders feel confident and safe!
If you need to get to or from school outside of regular school times or schedules, the WTA bus system has many convenient routes in 鶹Ժ. There are that run buses every 15 minutes. Other routes run once every 30 minutes or every hour. To plan a trip visit WTA’sor Google maps. By selecting the bus as a travel option, Google maps will give you bus stops and times to your destination.
WTA bus fares/passes:
If you are 17 or under (or over 17 and still in high school), you ride FREE on WTA.
- If you are in middle school, no WTA bus pass is required. Just step on and ride.
- High school students need a FREE Youth Pass. Passes are available at the main office of your school. You can also pick it up at WTA's , if you bring proof ofyour age or your current school ID. Or, you can request a cardby sending an email from your school email address tobuspasses@ridewta.com. Provide your first name, last name, full birth date and current grade.
All seventh graders in Bellingham public Schools learn how to ride the bus withduring the spring. Smart Trips has opportunities for kids 11-15 across Whatcom County to learnoutside of school as well. Emailinfo@WhatcomsmartTrips.orgor call 360-756-TRIP (8748) for more information.
Carpool
If it is an option for you-a great way to save money, time, and reduce fuel emissions is to partner with nearby families for a carpooling schedule.
- Notice who else in your neighborhood is driving to and from school everyday.
- Reach out to neighbors to see if they’re interested in carpooling.
- Exchange information and decide who is driving which days.
- Save money and enjoy some added company.
Driving
We encourage you to choose a transportation method other than driving, but if you are a student or parent driving to and from school, please follow our drop-off/pick-up guidelines:
- Be a good neighbor:
- Don’t park on surrounding private property,
- Don’t idle for more than 10 seconds – Idling wastes money, gas, and releasestoxicvehicle emissions into the air around our schools.
- Drive without distractions, sober, go the speed limit, and wear a seat belt. Take the Target Zero Pledge to help Washington State achieve its goals of reducing traffic-related accidents.
For more information about parking lot safety, picking up and dropping off at school visitSafety To and From School.