NYC's School Bus Driver Strike Plans: Free MetroCards, Uber Rides

NEW YORK CITY — Free MetroCards and Uber rides could help many New York City students make it to their first day of school next week instead of yellow buses.

A looming school bus driver strike prompted city school officials to craft a host of transportation contingency plans for tens of thousands of students who could go without a ride when class begins Sept. 7.

Whether the strike goes forward depends on negotiations between the drivers' Amalgamated Transit Union and bus companies, said Chancellor David Banks.

"NYC remains hopeful for a resolution where our dedicated bus drivers can continue their crucial role," he tweeted. "Until then, we're prepared to support all affected families.

"Every student deserves uninterrupted education, and we stand committed to that promise."

In collaboration with @NYCMayor, we've released a contingency plan addressing the potential school bus driver strike by ATU Local 1181.

We are proactively supporting families and preparing for all possible scenarios to ensure our students' learning remains uninterrupted.
— Chancellor David C. Banks (@DOEChancellor) August 28, 2023

Parents can find out more about the plan here, but here are some major points.

School officials hadn't yet posted a map of affected routes as of Tuesday afternoon, but promised to release it this week on the plan's site. They also will send out automated calls, emails and texts to families hit by any potential strike.

A potential strike will affect about half of bus drivers and attendants, which means about 80,000 students could be impacted, Chalkbeat New York reported.

If the strike unfolds, the primary plan consists of Emergency MetroCards that give students and families four free trips daily on MTA buses and subways from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., officials said.

Certain groups of students — specifically, those with disabilities, in temporary housing or foster care and those with an approved transportation exception — are also eligible for pre-paid rideshare and transportation reimbursement for use of taxis and personal vehicles, officials said.

"Rideshare is free for eligible families and does not require the family to pay upfront and wait for reimbursement," the plan's page states. "For this reason, we recommend that eligible families consider using rideshare instead of seeking transportation reimbursement."

Schools will remain open if a strike occurs and students who are impacted will be excused for up to two hours of lateness, officials said. Students will not be offered virtual learning, they said.

Find out more about school bus driver strike contingency plans here.