As the economy has improved, fewer people are looking for employment as school bus drivers. When fewer buses are available, more students drive to school, brining unwanted environmental risks along for the ride.
An interactive feature in The Wall Street Journal examines the challenges created by a shortage of school bus drivers all over the country.
The effects of Wake County, North Carolina's school bus driver shortage, as an example, are obvious, writes story author Valerie Bauerlein:
In the last three years, Wake County has cut one in five bus routes, bumped children off the bus who live within a mile of their school, required others to walk further to the bus stop, and now is considering starting some schools earlier in the morning.
Wake County's driver shortage has grown into a crisis as the fast growing county has added 160,000 pupils in the last decade (a growth rate of 25 percent), while the number of bus drivers has declined by 18 percent.
The problem isn't unique to Wake County, however. "Roughly 90% of 231 school districts in a School Bus Fleet magazine survey last fall said they were short on drivers," according to Bauerlein. School districts are having a hard time competing in the labor market as wages rise and unemployment drops around the country.
The article includes high quality images, audio clips, and a lot of personal testimony to explain and illustrate the scale of the school bus driver challenge facing the nation's school system.
FULL STORY: Schools Wrack Their Brains as Bus Driver Jobs Go Begging
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How Free Fares Could Benefit Bus Drivers
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Congress Shortchanges School Bus Electrification in Infrastructure Bill
Greening school buses, which represent the bulk of America's mass transit, would reduce children's exposure to harmful diesel emissions and remove millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from our roads.
The Top Urban Planning Books of 2021
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The Roadway Expansion Paradox
Motorists want expensive roadway expansions provided that somebody else foots the bill, but when required to pay directly through tolls, the need for more capacity often disappears. What should planners do?
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Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.
Austin's Tallest Tower Rising Quickly
Sixth and Guadalupe, which will top out at 875 feet, will soon be crowned the tallest building in Austin, and the fifth-tallest building in Texas.
How Boosting Biking Could Improve London's Economy
A new study outlines the potential economic, environmental, and public health benefits of increasing cycling mode share in London, which has pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030.
Peter De Fazio, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to Retire
The end of an era for Oregon in Congress.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
