Grand Jury

MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT SUMMARIES 9 MARIN COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY 2017-2018 • OCTOBER 2018 Traffic congestion is consistently cited as the number one problem in Marin County and school-related traffic is a significant contributor. With the funding limitations imposed by Proposition 13, along with other funding constraints, most school districts are not able to afford school bus programs. e 2015 Coordinated County Student Transportation Study, meant to identify options to relieve roadway congestion and improve the coordination of resources dedicated to providing school transportation, found significant opportunity for school buses but no feasible method of funding. A district-by-district approach to Yellow School Bus (YSB) programs has been undertaken for traffic relief. Existing YSB programs in Marin lack the coordination and consistent funding that could maximize efficiency. is lack of coordination exists because no organization has the authority to coordinate and manage a YSB program. Mill Valley and Tiburon/ Belvedere began YSB programs for students in kindergarten through 8th grade (K-8), with the County and those municipalities contributing funds to reduce the cost of bus passes. School districts, transportation agencies, and municipalities should develop a cost-efficient, coordinated YSB program serving more K-8 schools. Marin Transit is well positioned to manage such a program. ey have the expertise to negotiate contracts and manage operations resulting in economies of scale and a more efficiently run program. A YSB parking and maintenance facility is essential for this program to be fully realized. e County and municipalities should place a high priority on supporting Marin Transit in their efforts to locate and acquire a suitable facility. YELLOW SCHOOL BUS FOR TRAFFIC CONGESTION RELIEF Video Podcast: https://goo.gl/yYs1Zi RECOMMENDATIONS R1. e County and all munici- palities should work with Marin Transit to secure ample locations for bus parking and a location for bus maintenance. R2. Marin Transit should pro- duce and make public a list of possible sites for bus parking and maintenance and the barriers to purchasing and utilizing each site. R3. Marin Transit should facili- tate negotiations for a financial arrangement across the full group of participants. R4. Marin Transit should establish a new standing YSB committee that would provide guidance on YSB issues to include representa- tives from the County, Marin County Office of Education, and each school district and municipal- ity in the urbanized areas of Marin. R5. School districts and munici- palities within the urbanized areas of the County should join and actively participate in the YSB committee. R6. e YSB committee should work toward the establishment of a coordinated YSB for K-8 pro- gram for the urbanized areas of Marin. R7. Marin Transit should manage the development and operations of the coordinated YSB program beginning immediately. R8. e County and munici- palities of the urbanized corridor should make financial support of all YSB programs a part of each year's budgeting process. Photo Credit: iStockPhoto

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