Bus Service

The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

Bus Service

Dear Lab Schools' Parents,

Lab Schools' Bus service to and from the North Side of Chicago enters its second decade! The effort to make the service still more attractive continues so that increased ridership will help us keep the costs down.

As in years past, objective is to operate the service at a break even. Please click here to download the Ridership Agreement (a PDF document, requiring either Acrobat Reader or Preview). This contract will need to be filled out and returned to the Laboratory Schools for Bus Passes to be issued to your child(ren).

The itinerary is available both in the contract document and at the end of this letter.

A couple of notes on highlights of the service:

1. No More Tickets — Only Passes

Three kinds of Bus Passes: Annual, Quarterly, and Daily. Several of you have asked for a plan whereby regular, but less frequent, users could gain some of the advantage of the "bulk-purchase" discounts enjoyed by the families who opt for the Annual and Quarterly passes. The solution is the "DAILY" pass pre-purchase opportunity for those of you so inclined. See below for details.

Every rider will be asked to show his or her pass every ride, so the monitor can take accurate attendance, by name. Daily passes will be punched by the monitor.

2. Pricing

Our objective is to get the bus to pay for itself. The sooner we get commitments for passes and funds received, the sooner we can secure uninterrupted service for the school year. The pricing for 2007/2008 continues to favor the larger purchase, while it builds in a break for a large pre-buy of singles:

Pass	Annual	Quarterly
Round Trip	$2,495	$1,100(Fall)	$925 (Winter)	$925 (Spring)
One Way (Morning Only)	$1,400	$675 (Fall)	$500 (Winter)	$500 (Spring)
One Way (Dismissal Only)	$1,400	$675 (Fall)	$500 (Winter)	$500 (Spring)
Daily*	$13/ride if purchased before September 28, 2007; 45 rides minimum. $15/ride if purchased after September 28, 2007; 12 rides minimum.

* Daily single-ride users must also send in the ridership contract and receive their "daily" passes.

3. Guest Riders

Many users like to invite play dates or party guests to ride the bus with them. If your guests are regular users of the bus, we need to know only the change in stop, if any, for your guests. If, however, your invitation list includes non-users of the bus, we need advance notice of the guest list so that we can a) give an accurate passenger list to the bus personnel, and b) charge your account accordingly. Please provide at least three days advance notice concerning guests accompanying your bus-riding child(ren). Please also advise the parents of your guests that we need their—the parents—permission for their children to board the bus, or to change their bus stop and pick up arrangement, with your child.

4. Billing

Please keep your children's passes current. If your child’s pass is used up (daily) or expired (quarterly), rides in excess of the pre-purchase will be billed at $17 per ride, and not refunded if a quarterly or daily pass is subsequently purchased. Rides taken prior to payment will also be billed at $17 each. This is a premium compared to the on-going per-ride cost, and as such hopefully helps you plan, and pre-purchase, your use of the service. Renewal of quarterly passes PRIOR to the start of the quarter will be your responsibility. Refunds for un-used dailies will not be made, so please plan carefully!

Recent years' emphasis on good citizenship and behavior on the bus seems to pay dividends, so those of you returning will recognize the "Ridership Agreement" forms mentioned below.

Please make every effort to get the completed forms, with payment, for Fall Quarter, Annual, and Daily Passes back to us not later than August 31, 2007, if you decide to use the bus starting on September 10, the first day of school. For safety reasons, please do not put your child on the bus without a pass.

Please click here to download the Ridership Agreement (a PDF document, requiring either Acrobat Reader or Preview).

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

Ned Reece
Director of Auxiliary Programs
(773) 834-4272

The Laboratory Schools North Side Bus Service
2007/2008 Schedules
Exhibit 1

Please note: Times are departure times from the indicated stop. Please plan to arrive 5 to 10 minutes ahead of the indicated time so that we can stay on schedule.

Morning Schedule

1st PICK- UP	Location	2nd PICK- UP
6:50 a.m.	3800 North Lake Shore Drive	7:20 a.m.
6:52 a.m.	3400 North Lake Shore Drive	7:22 a.m.
7:00 a.m.	West end parking lot at Diversey and Inner Lake Shore Drive (near St. Joseph 's Hospital)	7:30 a.m.
7:03 a.m.	CTA Bus stop - Roslyn near Stockton	7:33 a.m.
7:06 a.m.	Cafe Brauer turnaround (Stockton Drive South of Dickens Street)	7:36 a.m.
7:10 a.m.	1730 North Clark Street	7:40 a.m.
7:15 a.m.	Southwest corner of Division and Dearborn St. (Starbucks)	7:45 a.m.
7:20 a.m.	John Hancock Building (Delaware side)	7:50 a.m.
7:25 a.m.	680 North Lake Shore Drive (Front Entrance)	7:55 a.m.

Bold face names are shorthand for use on the registration form.

Afternoon Schedule

1st DISMISSAL (Gr. N-2)			2nd DISMISSAL (Gr 3+*)
M/W/Th/Fri	Tuesday		M/W/Th	Tues/Fri
2:30 p.m.	1:30 p.m.	Leave the Lab Schools	3:35 p.m.	2:45 p.m.
3:05 p.m.	2:05 p.m.	3800 N. Lake Shore Dr.	4:05 p.m.	3:15 p.m.
3:07 p.m.	2:07 p.m.	3400 N. Lake Shore Dr.	4:07 p.m.	3:17 p.m.
3:09 p.m.	2:09 p.m.	Corner Melrose and LSD	4:09 p.m.	3:19 p.m.
3:15 p.m.	2:15 p.m.	West end parking lot at Diversey and Inner LSD near St. Joe's	4:12 p.m.	3:22 p.m.
3:18 p.m.	2:18 p.m.	CTA Bus stop - Roslyn near Stockton	4:15 p.m.	3:25 p.m.
3:21 p.m.	2:21 p.m.	Cafe Brauer turnaround	4:20 p.m.	3:33 p.m.
3:25 p.m.	2:25 p.m.	1730 North Clark Street	4:25 p.m.	3:35 p.m.
3:30 p.m.	2:30 p.m.	SW corner of Division & Dearborn (Starbucks)	4:30 p.m.	3:40 p.m.
3:35 p.m.	2:35 p.m.	John Hancock Bldg. - Delaware side	4:35 p.m.	3:45 p.m.
3:40 p.m.	2:40 p.m.	680 N. LSD (front entrance)	4:40 p.m.	3:50 p.m.

*Second dismissal bus also available for grade N-2 children exiting Hour After or Lab After School Special Classes.