Last-Minute Deal Saves NYC School Bus Service as Chaos Looms Over 150,000 Students
In a dramatic turn of events, New York City officials have reached a last-minute agreement with major yellow bus providers to keep school bus service running next week, averting potential chaos for the city's most vulnerable students. The deal comes just one day before contracts were set to expire for multiple large bus companies, sparking widespread panic among parents whose children rely on buses to get to school.
The crisis centered around decades-old contracts that many parents say perpetuate a dysfunctional system plagued by inconsistent service, no-show buses, and delays. Parents have long complained about these issues, with some calling for city officials to reject long-term contract extensions so that they could negotiate new terms with better service.
On Thursday night, the largest companies - including Logan Bus Co. Inc., Pioneer Transportation, Total Transportation Corp., and Consolidated Bus Transit - remained holdouts until just hours before the deadline, prompting concerns among parents and advocates about how students with complex disabilities would get to school.
However, in a surprise move, city officials announced that the group of lawyers negotiating for some of the largest bus companies had reached a temporary extension to maintain service. The deal will keep buses running on Monday, but it does not address the underlying issues driving the dispute. Instead, officials say they will continue to work towards new and improved contracts with stronger accountability measures.
"This is about the children and our employees," said Rich Bamberger, a spokesperson for the lawyers negotiating for some of the largest bus companies. "Buses will be running Monday."
The temporary deal has been welcomed by parents, including those whose children have disabilities or live in shelters, who were facing dire consequences if service was disrupted. However, advocates say that this agreement is only a short-term solution and that real change can only come with stronger contracts.
"It's a victory for the children of New York City," said Gregory Faulkner, chair of the Panel for Educational Policy. "Today’s decision is a first step towards fixing the problems with our school bus system."
The city had announced contingency plans, including OMNY cards and rideshare, but these measures were deemed insufficient by some parents who say they would not be enough to get students with complex disabilities to school.
Mayor Adams has remained committed to ensuring that public school students can safely get to and from schools, and he welcomed the temporary deal. However, critics argue that this agreement does not address the root causes of the problem and that real change is needed to improve the service.
In a dramatic turn of events, New York City officials have reached a last-minute agreement with major yellow bus providers to keep school bus service running next week, averting potential chaos for the city's most vulnerable students. The deal comes just one day before contracts were set to expire for multiple large bus companies, sparking widespread panic among parents whose children rely on buses to get to school.
The crisis centered around decades-old contracts that many parents say perpetuate a dysfunctional system plagued by inconsistent service, no-show buses, and delays. Parents have long complained about these issues, with some calling for city officials to reject long-term contract extensions so that they could negotiate new terms with better service.
On Thursday night, the largest companies - including Logan Bus Co. Inc., Pioneer Transportation, Total Transportation Corp., and Consolidated Bus Transit - remained holdouts until just hours before the deadline, prompting concerns among parents and advocates about how students with complex disabilities would get to school.
However, in a surprise move, city officials announced that the group of lawyers negotiating for some of the largest bus companies had reached a temporary extension to maintain service. The deal will keep buses running on Monday, but it does not address the underlying issues driving the dispute. Instead, officials say they will continue to work towards new and improved contracts with stronger accountability measures.
"This is about the children and our employees," said Rich Bamberger, a spokesperson for the lawyers negotiating for some of the largest bus companies. "Buses will be running Monday."
The temporary deal has been welcomed by parents, including those whose children have disabilities or live in shelters, who were facing dire consequences if service was disrupted. However, advocates say that this agreement is only a short-term solution and that real change can only come with stronger contracts.
"It's a victory for the children of New York City," said Gregory Faulkner, chair of the Panel for Educational Policy. "Today’s decision is a first step towards fixing the problems with our school bus system."
The city had announced contingency plans, including OMNY cards and rideshare, but these measures were deemed insufficient by some parents who say they would not be enough to get students with complex disabilities to school.
Mayor Adams has remained committed to ensuring that public school students can safely get to and from schools, and he welcomed the temporary deal. However, critics argue that this agreement does not address the root causes of the problem and that real change is needed to improve the service.
. I mean, can you imagine how chaotic things would have gotten if buses just stopped running on Monday? The thought alone gives me anxiety 
. But seriously, it's like the city was putting its finger in the dike just when the system was about to implode 
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. I mean, come on, how many times can we keep kicking the can down the road before we really address these problems? It's like the city is putting its foot down (pun intended) but only for show 
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. And I've got to give props to those parents who were fighting for their kids' rights - they're not going to let this issue slide anytime soon 
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Can't believe they had to do a last-minute deal on these bus contracts 
Like, what's wrong with negotiating in time? This whole thing just reeks of scrambling at the last minute 
It's about the kids and employees, yeah right... that's just a PR spin 
The fact remains, the system is still broken and this deal just kicks the can down the road 
We need real change, not just temporary fixes 
. and what about the ones who can't rely on buses because of complex disabilities? did anyone really think that OMNY cards or rideshare would cut it for those folks? 
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so like what's going on with NYC school buses? i feel bad for those kids who rely on them to get to school 
isn't it wild that the big companies were holding out till the last minute? 
can someone explain what the deal is and how it works? 
do parents have to start busing their kids themselves? 
just heard about the last min deal to save NYC's school bus service and i gotta say its a huge relief for parents who were panicking 
it was getting really ugly with some companies being total holdouts 
but hey at least the kids are gonna get to school on time 
. i'm so glad that city officials were able to negotiate a temporary extension to keep buses running, but i gotta wonder... is this just a Band-Aid solution? 
not just some temporary fix. I'm all about seeing those contract extensions reworked with better accountability measures so our kids don't have to suffer because of it. It's about time the city prioritizes our schools' transportation needs 
we need some real changes tho, not just temporary fixes like this one 
the fact that they had to do this last min is wild, what's next gonna be like we have to pay more for pizza? anyway i guess its good that the kids are still getting on the buses but like seriously how many times can a bus company just not show up? 
I remember when school buses were on time and reliable back in my day... 
who really need it. But let's be real, this is just a short-term fix 
. It's not just about getting buses on the road, it's about making sure our kids get to school safely and without hassle 
. Just patching things over without addressing the real issues? 
? That's not gonna cut it for most families. I need to see some concrete changes, like new contracts that actually prioritize student needs 
. Sources, anyone? 
I was literally checking my phone last night and saw this headline, I'm glad they were able to come up with a deal, but like 4 days too late 
.