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San Luis Obispo offers discounted bus tickets to students

February 3, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

As school districts throughout San Luis Obispo grapple with a shortage of school bus drivers, the San Luis Obispo is offering students in kindergarten through 12th grade half off on SLO Transit bus tickets. Only about 9% of students in California currently ride a bus to school.

From Feb. 5, 2024 through June 5, 2025, students in kindergarten through 12th grade will be able to ride a SLO Transit bus at half the price as part of a pilot program designed to encourage more students to take the bus to school and around town.

“Our goal is to make public transportation a convenient solution for students and their families,” said Mobility Services Business Manager Alex Fuchs. “The introduction of this pilot program will not only make public transportation more affordable and accessible, but we hope it will also empower youth to explore their community beyond getting to and from school.”

The following discounted fares will be available for students:

  • One ride fare: 75 cents
  • Fifteen ride pass: $11.25

In order to get the one fare discount, students need to show their school ID when boarding the bus. Passes are also available at the finance counter at City Hall, located at 990 Palm Street.

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Who would want to go to school nowadays anyways??


0

SLO has a large population of transients, some with mental illness, drug issues etc. I stopped taking our kids to the once-safe, clean parks in SLO because the bathrooms and surroundings were not safe…that was years ago and and I was WITH my kids.

So in current times, I cannot imagine sending school age children (especially k-5) alone on a SLO bus. Transients often ride around on the bus for hours, especially in bad weather.

Not a good idea.


2

People can’t ride the bus for hours. They will get kicked off at the government center or at the turnaround for the route. Kids can sit up front by the bus driver who will look out for them. The buses also have cameras that cover the entire bus. Apparently you don’t ride them or take your kids to the park. You’re spreading false information and that hurts us as a community.


0

I was never far enough from school to qualify for the bus, which was free. And there were two afternoon busses, one right after school, and the the “late bus” leaving at 4:45 for those at sports practice or just in the library getting their homework done. Sounds strange, right? And bus drivers were easy to find, either full-timers or retirees wanting part-time work and enjoying interaction with the youth. I can’t see that today. As the City of SLO runs a huge fleet of empty busses driving around burning fossil fuels, and even more fossil fuels if they are electric, and occasionally decapitated on railway over-crossings, them this makes sense. Just tell the kids not to sit on the upper level of the stupid double decker bus we paid a City employee six-figures for years to conceive.


5

This is a good idea. These busses drive around nearly empty all day. At 75 cents a ride, it’s cheaper than driving. Other alternatives:

When my brother and I started at a “magnet” school miles from our house for fifth grade, the school district did not offer transportation. My parents leased busses from the public bus system to take kids to and from the school. When my brother started high school, they set up another bus line. Except for a few cheapskate parents who felt it should be free, everyone paid on the honor system and it worked out pretty well. The goal wasn’t to make a profit but to give students a chance to get a better education.

My freshman year my class was consolidated to go to a high school across town. My dad dropped me off an hour early so he could get to work, and I took three public busses to get home. Obviously, I survived.

I would like to see more creative ideas like this.


3

SLO doesn’t have double decker busses anymore and the busses are rarely empty. No one was ever decapitated. At times it’s standing room only. The bus depot is covered in solar. Where’s your source on electric busses using more fossil fuels? I assume you don’t have one…


-2

Apparently you don’t have any evidence to back up your statements. I’m not surprised…


0