WPost: Montgomery to test using public buses for private schools, aiming to reduce traffic

Montgomery County officials are exploring the feasibility of using public school buses to serve private and parochial institutions to reduce traffic congestion in the morning and afternoon rush hours.
County officials disclosed Wednesday that they have asked both religious and non-sectarian schools to participate in a pilot program to test the idea. Four religious schools have agreed so far: St. Jude Regional Catholic School and Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville, and St. Francis International School and the Torah School of Greater Washington in Silver Spring.
The county’s transportation department will bill the schools for 22 percent of the cost for buses and driver time — the same proportion that Montgomery Ride On passengers pay in fares for operation of the bus system, officials said. The pilot program is expected to cost between $400,000 and $600,000 in county funds, and a full program would probably cost far more.
County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) said he authorized the venture after hearing from educators and parents about traffic tie-ups on the daily drives to and from school. Getting some of the county’s 30,000 non-public school students out of cars and onto buses could relieve some of that congestion.
“We have all these kids on the road,” Leggett said. “It’s something that begs for attention.”...

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-to-test-using-public-buses-for-private-schools-aiming-to-reduce-traffic/2014/10/08/40048c74-4e77-11e4-8c24-487e92bc997b_story.html?wprss=rss_local