Transportation Updates
See what's new in student transportation for this school year.
Transportation Information
In accordance with Chancellor’s Regulation A-801 (see below for regulation with translations) , the DOE provides transportation to all eligible New York City students in public, charter, and non-public schools. In partnership with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and our school age and preschool bus companies, our mission is to ensure safe and reliable transportation to and from school.
See Transportation Rights for what you and your child can expect from DOE transportation services.
See Transportation Guide for a summarized introduction to transportation options, eligibility, and more.
Get Your Child's Bus Information
District and charter school parents: Sign up for your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) to view information on your child’s transportation services and busing information.
Your school can provide you with your child's student ID.
Non-public school parents: Please contact your school to get information about your child’s bus information.
DOE employees: visit Student Profile for student school and bus information or see Transportation Resources for Schools on the InfoHub for additional information.
Note: Access to the Student Transportation Search page is no longer available.
Why is the Bus Late?
Sometimes buses are delayed because of traffic congestion or mechanical failure. Check our bus delays page to see if your child's route has been affected.
Types of Transportation Service
Transportation services that are available to families vary by school and by each child’s eligibility for those services. Speak with your school if you have questions about the available options.
- At minimum, schools will provide student MetroCards to eligible students
- Schools may also offer stop-to-school bus service if sufficient students meet busing eligibility criteria
- Curb-to-school or specialized bus service is provided to students whose medical, health, or disability-related conditions or special circumstances prevent them from being able to walk or utilize other forms of transportation to get to and from school.
MetroCard
Full-fare student MetroCards are provided at no cost to eligible students and are good on MTA subways and non-express buses.
Student MetroCards are different from regular MetroCards. A student MetroCard has three trips and three transfers.
(Subway + bus = one trip and one transfer)
Visit our MetroCards page to learn more.
Stop-to-School Bus Service
School bus transportation refers to picking up and dropping off one or more students at designated bus stops. To use this service, your school must participate in the bus program and your child must be eligible.
Contact your school for more information on school bus service.
Curb-to-School or Specialized Bus Service
This type of transportation utilizes vehicles that are equipped to meet the transportation accommodations listed on a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Accommodations Plan and have a trained driver and an attendant on-board. Curb-to-school specialized bus services pick up and drop off the student at the safest locations near the student's home.
- Students in grades K-12 with an IEP that recommends curb-to-school transportation
- Students in grades K-12 with a 504 Accommodations Plan that lists curb-to-school transportation as a required service
- Students in grades K-12 with a medical exception approved by the Office of Pupil Transportation
Certain transportation accommodations must be reviewed and approved by the Office of School Health prior to being arranged.
See Transportation Rights for additional information.
Requests for an Alternate Drop-Off Location
Some families receiving specialized transportation may need their child to be dropped off on certain days at a different location from their home address, such as therapy sessions, childcare provider, or after school program.
These requests are subject to availability and may not be provided based on the location of the requested drop-off and other factors; in general, requests for alternate afternoon drop-offs in a borough that is not in the same borough as the school or the home address will not be approved. These requests generally take around 10 business days to take effect. Once approved, requests for same-day drop-off changes cannot be arranged.
Alternate afternoon bus drop-off arrangements can be requested online. Please visit the Transportation Support Hub for more information about alternate PM drop-off service and to submit a request.
Early Childhood Transportation
Some children ages 0-5 are eligible for school bus transportation:
- Children ages 6 weeks to age 3 can receive Early Intervention (EI) services if they have disabilities and/or developmental delays, and transportation needs are identified by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) on their Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) .
- Children ages 3-5 with preschool Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that recommend Special Class or Special Class in an Integrated Setting, and who are attending a program in a public school or a New York State-approved preschool special education program.
- Children ages 3-5 with a medical, health, or disability-related condition that requires curb-to-school transportation. Learn more about submitting a medical exception.
If a child is eligible for curb-to-school transportation based on the above criteria, the child will be provided busing and will ride in a car seat.
See Transportation Rights for additional information.
Transitioning to Kindergarten and School-Age Services
While transportation for children with preschool IEPs is provided based on the program recommendations on the IEP, that is not the case for kindergarten and school-age children. The school-age IEP must specifically recommend curb-to-school transportation in order for the DOE to provide it. Additionally, children will not automatically ride in a car seat – it must be recommended on the IEP.
Learn more at the moving to kindergarten page.
For more information visit our specialized transportation visit, the DOE's Specialized Transportation page.
Chancellor's Regulations Related to School Transportation
See below for a list of the Chancellor's Regulations which govern transportation.