Dear North Side Parents,                              

T

he Laboratory Schools’ North Side Bus service is a safe, convenient, and green transportation option for North Side families. It reduces traffic at arrival and dismissal times, and plays an increasingly important role in the Schools' emphasis on green and sustainable environmental awareness. Please note the buses do not serve the Woodlawn buildings, home of several Nursery School classes (see below).

New for 2011/12 is the introduction of an additional route for our younger students to and from Bucktown, Wicker Park, and Ukrainian Village ("BWPUV"). This route also features stops in the South Loop on the way home in the afternoon. This pilot program will run this year for grades 4 and below (mornings) and 2 and below (afternoons). If the right level of participation emerges, the service could be continued indefinitely as well as expanded to serve the older grades.

Also new for 2011/12 is the High School bus at 3:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. The new U-High schedule works with the pre-existing itinerary on all but these two days, so an additional run will be incorporated to the service on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The bus service provider has an excellent history with the Laboratory Schools and is also under contract to the Chicago Public Schools. The original North Side service includes two buses each way each day; the two runs address the different schedules of younger and older students, and this year wil add the third run for High School students referenced above. The BWPUV route will have one bus each way. All buses are staffed by uniformed drivers and monitors.

To register your child or children to use the bus, please familiarize yourself with the Policy and Procedures document, and fill in and return the North Side Bus Registration form with the corresponding payment. Some additional details are provided below. 

Several parents have agreed to share how Lab's North Side Bus service has served their families' needs and from time to time exceeded expectations. If you would like to hear testimonial from families who use the bus, click here and we will connect you up.

Bus Passes

Three kinds of passes are available: Annual Round Trip, Annual One-Way "Flexipass", and Daily. No physical passes are issued. Rider attendance is taken and compared to payment balances. You will receive a reminder if your inventory of daily rides is low. Please see below for pricing details. Note: Quarterly passes have been discontinued, but scheduled payment plans are available for a small premium.

Itinerary

Itineraries are available for download in the box to the right. Choose North Side or BWPUV.

Pricing

We are pleased to continue these service improvements in response to your feedback. Reduced price for the first sibling and no charge for additional siblings remain in place. One way every day remains an option with the Flexipass.

Flexipass - Annual One-Way passes are good for one ride per day in either direction. If the second ride is taken, an additional single "daily" ride will be charged. 

Guest Riders

Your child may invite a guest or guests. If guests are regular users of the bus, the guest’s parent or guardian needs to authorize the change in stop, if any. If, however, your child’s guest is not registered to ride the bus, the guest’s parent or guardian must authorize the ride in writing, in advance. You, as host family, will be charged for the guest ride. E-mail notice is sufficient.

Billing & Payment

Please keep your children's daily passes current. Rides in excess of the pre-purchase will be billed at $18 per ride. Single rides may be purchased for $18 each. Refunds for un-used dailies will not be made, so plan and purchase accurately. If you select quarterly or monthly payment plans for annual passes, please keep these accounts current also. Recurrent late payment will incur late payment fees. Click here to view payment plan options for annual passes.

A Note for Nursery Families

The North Side Bus does not service the Woodlawn buildings which house Nursery School classes. If the bus service will be essential to your transportation strategy, please let Principal Carla Young and Admissions Coordinator Elaine Woerner know that your child will need to be assigned to Blaine Hall. The buses come and go from in front of Blaine, just west of the crosswalk.

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Registration forms with payment are due back to Lab not later than August 30, 2011, if you choose to use the bus on opening day. Following opening day, registration remains open. For safety reasons, do not put your child on the bus without having submitted the form and payment.

Please feel free to call us with any questions. Many thanks.

Ned Reece
Director of Auxiliary Programs
773 834 4272
nreece@ucls.uchicago.edu

Nancy Kubel
Auxiliary Programs, Project Coordinator
773 834 4273
nkubel@ucls.uchicago.edu