This report will be of interest to managers of public transportation and school bus systems, transportation planning and operations professionals, policy makers, and others interested in the potential for co-ordinating or integrating school bus and public transportation services in non-urban areas. The report identifies and discusses issues associated with such co-ordination or integration, and provides 13 case studies of communities that have successfully co-ordinated or integrated some aspect of school and public transportation services. The report also provides an implementation guide that suggests "next steps" for non-urban communities seeking to give serious consideration to the co-ordination or integration of school and public transportation services. In non-urban areas, the need for improved mobility is considerable. To provide adequate mobility in these areas, it is essential to more fully use the transportation assets and resources available within the community. To this end, the co-ordination or integration of school bus and public transportation services is often discussed. Opportunities exist to enhance mobility by using school buses to provide public transportation during the periods in which they would otherwise sit idle. Conversely, school districts may look to existing public transportation systems to increase efficiencies in their student-transportation programs. School bus and public transportation services have different operating characteristics, scheduling techniques, funding sources, policies, and a variety of barriers to co-ordinating or integrating services. However, some communities have effectively used various combinations of school bus and public transportation assets and resources to improve efficiencies and enhance mobility to the general public. Integrating maintenance, fuelling, and storage facilities; altering transportation routes to accommodate both students and the general public; and combining both fleets for joint uses are such examples. Although there are successful stories of co-ordination and integration, there are serious barriers, which may range from the physical characteristics of the vehicles to the regulations governing school bus transportation. Under TCRP Project A-19, research was undertaken by Multisystems, Inc. to (1) identify non-urban communities that have co-ordinated or integrated school bus and public transportation assets and resources to provide efficiencies in service and improve mobility; (2) conduct case studies of selected sites that will provide other communities with information to consider when co-ordinating or integrating these services; (3) identify the key issues associated with the co-ordination or integration of school bus and public transportation services; and (4) develop an implementation guide to assist communities interested in evaluating potential service co-ordination or integration. To achieve the project objectives, the researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review of information available on the subject of school bus and public transportation co-ordination or integration in non-urban areas; prepared a glossary of terms needed to consistently define the issues; developed, conducted, and analysed a national survey designed to identify information about co-ordination or integration efforts undertaken by school districts and public transportation agencies; developed a summary of key issues and concerns related to the co-ordination or integration of school and public transportation services, including funding, operational, legal, regulatory, and safety; conducted case studies of 13 communities that have successfully co-ordinated or integrated some aspect of school and public transportation; completed supplementary research on specific state laws and regulations, school bus and public transportation safety policies and procedures, and blended ("hybrid") vehicle design; and developed an implementation guide that suggests "next steps" for those non-urban communities seeking to give serious consideration to the co-ordination or integration of school and public transportation services. The Executive Summary of this report, together with the Implementation Guide found in Appendix D, can also be found on the TCRP website as Web document 11 (www4.nas.edu/trb/crp.nsf). (A)
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