How express stops work on CMS bus routes

CHARLOTTE — Channel 9 got an inside look at the new express stops that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is rolling out, which is a plan to eliminate door-to-door bus service for more than 5,000 magnet school students next year.

CMS has 52 bus driver vacancies with a little over a month before school starts.

Express stops are supposed to ease those vacancies.

However, some families are still trying to figure out how to get their kids safely picked up and dropped off.

CMS Transportation executive director Adam Johnson, who also drives a route, showed Channel 9 education reporter Jonathan Lowe on Tuesday how the express stops plan will work.

They were on a bus that will pick up and drop off students from a stop at South Meck High School and shuttle them to and from Palisades High School.

“Those kids would be on the bus for an hour and 45 minutes,” Johnson said.

The district has finalized a list of 38 express stops, which are spread out across the county at CMS schools, county facilities, and other centralized locations.

“The good thing is it will shorten that ride time for some of my kids,” Johnson said.

CMS has said since express stops were announced last year, the plan will help ease the impact of bus driver vacancies by cutting down on the number of routes and hours on the road.

“We’ve assigned everyone that has requested a stop, but we don’t know fully whether they will take advantage of using the bus,” Johnson said.

Some families don’t know if they will have a choice.

Lauren Zubow’s daughter will be starting at Northwest School of the Arts this year and express stops have left her family feeling very unsure.

“With her getting out at 2:15, it’s right in the middle of the workday,” Zubow said. “The express stop is too far for her to walk to from there, and she’d have to cross a bunch of busy streets.”

She added, “We’re hoping to piecemeal something together to make it through the school year and make it work, but honestly, right now we’re not sure.”

VIDEO: CMS considers ending door-to-door bus service for thousands of students

CMS considers ending door-to-door bus service for thousands of students

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