To the NYC DOE Office of Pupil Transportation:

We are parents and guardians of children attending PS150Q (OPT code 30150) and the PS150Q Annex (OPT code 30408) in September 2017, and ask you to create two morning and afternoon bus routes serving PS150 and its Annex - one for Astoria / Steinway / Ditmars and one for Long Island City / Hunter's Point (with new bus stops in south Hunter's Point in the vicinity of 50th Ave and Center Boulevard).

PS150Q serves students from all over District 30, including many students from Astoria and Long Island City, because it provides both Dual Language and Gifted & Talented programs. This past school year, OPT provided a single bus route (Q3036 in the mornings, Q9080 in the evenings) to cover all PS150Q and the Annex students living in the entire western portion of District 30. It included stops as far north as 26th Avenue and 18th Street, near Astoria Park, and as far south as 47thAvenue and Vernon Boulevard in Hunter's Point. Because the route spanned five miles (the maximum distance permitted by Chancellor’s Regulation A-801 para. 4.1), the OPT could not add necessary stops along Center Boulevard in Hunter's Point, requiring several families with young children to walk nearly one-half of a mile to and from the closest bus stop each day. The long route also resulted in very early morning pickup times for Astoria families, and correspondingly late drop-offs in the afternoons.

Ridership along this route far exceeds 22 students, which under Chancellor’s Regulation A-801 para. 4.2.2 would authorize the creation of two bus routes covering this area. Numerous new young students along this bus route have enrolled at PS 150Q for September 2017 as far south and west as Borden Avenue and Center Boulevard, highlighting the need for two separate, shorter bus routes with more convenient stops. Two separate routes would allow for shorter travel times for all students, closer bus stops, and a better overall educational experience.

In sum, two separate bus routes for PS150Q and its Annex are needed - one for Astoria / Steinway / Ditmars and a second for Long Island City / Hunter's Point - because:

1. There is an influx of students spanning the bus route from the Northwest and Southwest corners of District 30;
2. Two separate routes will shorten the travel times of the young students along the 5 mile route; and
3. More convenient stops can be added to reach the farthest corners of District 30 (the vicinity of 50th Ave. and Center Boulevard for example) to improve the commute for these young students and their parents/guardians.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.

Signed,

Parents and Guardians of PS150Q Students