Transportation
Calling all new bus riders!
All K–6 students taking the bus for the first time are invited to the Edmonton Expo Centre on Thursday, August 22, 2024, for the 16th annual First Riders event. This free event is a unique hands-on opportunity for you and your child to get familiar with riding the bus before the school year begins.
Afternoon sessions run every half hour, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Evening sessions run every half hour, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Please register by August 19 to save your spot.
REGULAR PROGRAM YELLOW BUS
Regular program yellow bus service may be available for elementary students attending their primary designated school. Review the eligibility below before applying for yellow bus service.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for regular program yellow bus service a student must:
- attend the regular program at their designated school
- live outside of the walk boundary
- live within the bus service area
- be in K - Grade 6 (or K - 12 in areas where ETS service does not meet standards).
BUS ROUTES AND STOP LOCATIONS
Yellow bus routes serving students in the regular program are called fixed routes. Students on fixed bus routes walk a short distance (usually less than 400 metres) from home to a nearby ETS stop or intersection.
RIDE TIMES
The ride may be up to 60 minutes one-way, but most students are on the bus for 15 to 35 minutes. Students living in rural or outlying area may be on the bus longer than 60 minutes.
SPECIAL EDUCATION NEEDS YELLOW BUS
Special education needs busing is provided to students with physical, mental or other disabilities who require a high level of care and attention, are unable to walk to school or use regular yellow bus routes, and who are attending their designated school.
- Special education needs busing may be provided where the special education needs programming required by the student is not available at the neighbourhood school.
- Special education needs busing in rural areas of Edmonton is reviewed on an individual basis.
- A student's needs are determined by district assessments that result in the student receiving a coding that indicates the severity of the disability, and appropriate programming..
The principal of your child’s school will work with you to determine which form of transportation would best benefit your child. Depending on your child’s needs, one of the following options may be available:
- Fixed Route: Students ride standard yellow buses. They are picked up and dropped off at designated stop locations along with other neighbourhood children.
- Curb Service: Students ride small to moderate sized specially equipped school buses. This minimizes the number of riders per bus and allows for curbside pick up and drop off, where possible.
- Parent-provided
ELIGIBILITY
Special Education Needs busing is provided for eligible students with moderate or severe disabilities. A student may also be eligible if a principal recommends they attend a Special Education Needs program at a school other than their designated neighbourhood school.
BUS ROUTES AND STOP LOCATIONS
Door-to-door service is provided at the nearest curb to the destination address that is free of access limitations (i.e., obstacles that would impede the safe operation of the bus, weather conditions) with the exception of apartment buildings, condominiums and cul-de-sacs, which may have a common bus stop area.
RIDE TIMES
- In-zone ride times, where the school and home fall within the same zone of the city, may be up to 60 minutes one-way.
- Adjacent-Zone ride times, where the school and home are not located in the same zone of the city, but are in adjacent zones, may be up to 80 minutes one-way.
- Out-of-Zone ride times, where the school and home are more than one full zone apart, have no set limits.
WHEELCHAIRS AND MOBILITY AIDS
To ensure your child is able to travel safely, some of our special education needs school buses are equipped with electric loading and unloading ramps, as well as floor inserts to fasten wheelchairs securely to the bus.
A variety of mobility aids can be accommodated, and will be secured during loading, traveling and unloading.
For safety reasons, we are not able to transport students in strollers, buggies or tri-wheelers.
Seat restraints may be necessary. A variety of different options are available to ensure the child's safety. A variety of mobility aids can be accommodated, and will be secured during loading, traveling and unloading.