What is a double bus route?
If we have a bus route without an available bus driver to drive it, we ask another driver to cover their route plus a second route. The driver will do their usual route first, drop off all students, then begin picking up the students for the second route and dropping them off.
Why does LISD double routes?
Due to a driver shortage, doubling a route is sometimes the only way to ensure bus service for a given route.
What are the challenges for bus riders when a route is doubled?
If a driver has a doubled elementary route, they will be late picking up their remaining students on the secondary portion of their route. This may create a snowball effect, with one doubled route potentially impacting up to three other bus routes for students, parents and schools who rely on dependable, timely school bus service.
How does LISD work to minimize the impact to students?
LISD typically will have one driver cover the elementary portion of a route without a driver and a second route over the secondary (HS/MS) portion of the route. That way, impact to other routes is minimized.
How does LISD communicate that a route needs to be “doubled” by another driver?
Families are notified of the bus route being doubled, the pickup/dropoff bus(es) covering the route and the expected delay in picking up students. The bus may come sooner or later depending on traffic patterns. In addition, some parents will take their students to school when this occurs, allowing the bus to take less time to complete the entire second route.
