What You Can Do

We can all play a role. By working together, we can reduce pollution from school buses making sure that school buses are not only a safe, but a very clean way for children to get to school. Below is a list of steps that members of the school community can take:

School Officials
Bus Owners / Operators
Bus Drivers
Parents
Students
Outreach Materials

School Officials

Establish idle reduction policies.
Work with bus companies to ensure idle reduction policies are adopted.
Minimize the time that children spend outside when school buses are arriving or departing
If possible, shorten commute times for children.
Discourage drivers from following directly behind other large vehicles, including school buses – especially if they see visible smoke being emitted.
Deploy cleanest buses on longest routes.
Post no-idling signs on school grounds.
Provide a space inside the school where drivers can wait on cold days.
Limit idling of delivery vehicles on school grounds.
Develop educational programs for students about air pollution.

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Bus Owners / Operators

Adopt idle reduction policies.
Educate drivers and recognize drivers that reduce idling time.
Keep buses well maintained.
Take steps to retrofit existing buses with pollution controls.
Replace the oldest buses with new, clean buses.
Discourage drivers from following directly behind other large vehicles, including school buses – especially if they see visible smoke being emitted.

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Bus Drivers

Follow idle reduction guidelines established by school officials and/or bus owners.
When standing, turn off the school bus engine.
On cold afternoons, stay warm inside the school building.
Avoid driving directly behind other large vehicles, including school buses – especially if you see visible smoke being emitted.

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