Comment Log Display

West County Transportation Agency

December 14, 2010

Mary D. Nichols, Chair
California Air Resources Board
1001 “I” Street
Sacramento, Ca 95812

RE:	Agenda Item 10-11-3 School Bus Regulations

Dear Chairperson  Nichols,

West County Transportation Agency opposes these amendments to the
school bus rules for the Truck and Bus Regulations.  We
respectfully request that these regulations are suspended until
adequate resources to fund them are attained.  California’s funding
for school transportation prior to the recent economic downturn
only covered 45% of our costs, and in the past two years our
funding has been cut an additional 20%.  West County Transportation
Agency is a Joint Powers Agreement of sixteen school districts in
Sonoma County.  Due to ongoing funding cuts, our school districts
have reduced over thirty school bus routes over the years.  Two of
our members have completely eliminated home to school
transportation.

Your mandates would have the unintended consequence of decreasing
safety and increasing congestion and thereby increasing air
pollution.  Parents and children from affluent areas will be able
to drive their children to school.  It will be the less affluent
that will be hurt the most.  School transportation is 172 times
safer than riding in the family automobile.  It will harm our most
disadvantaged children because they will have to walk longer
distances to school or simply not go.

We are in agreement with you that we need to update our school bus
fleet with new modern buses.  Our parents want their children to
ride in school buses that have seat belts.  However, this is the
worst time to impose new mandates on school districts without
additional funds.

We were very appreciative of the Proposition 1B funds, but those
funds are no longer available to us.  We would urge you to wait. 
We know of no other state program that has been cut as much as
education.  We cannot afford to take additional funds out of the
classroom or to eliminate or reduce school transportation any more.
 Please work with us to get additional funds for school
transportation.  We sincerely appreciate our on-going relationship
to enhance air quality in and around our school buses.

Sincerely,



Michael G. Rea
Executive Director
707-206-9988 x11