Blake Transportation
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q - Who is eligible to ride Blake school buses?
A - Blake students in kindergarten through twelve grade can ride Blake buses. Pre-K students may not ride Blake buses unless approval has been given by the Blake Lower School Director. Blake Transportation does not maintain a static district boundary but does limit the distance our school buses travel. Historically, Blake buses travel as far north as Plymouth, Brooklyn Center and North Minneapolis, as far west as Orono, Mound and Chanhassen, as far south as Eden Prairie, Bloomington and Richfield, and as far east as the Minneapolis/St. Paul border. The Blake Transportation Office strongly encourages new families who haven't ridden Blake buses to call our office to determine whether or not we have an existing bus route in your area.
Q - What is the difference between home and shuttle bus services?
A - Home bus service involves picking up your student at his/ her home. Blake Transportation assigns a specific pick up time for your home location and will make every attempt to pull as close as safely possible to your doorstep. This is Blake Transportation's premiere bus service designed to provide the most convenience to your family.
Shuttle bus service involves picking up your student at a centralized location. In this scenario the transportation responsibility is shared between Blake and the family. Multiple students may be picked up at a single shuttle pick up location. Shuttle locations are chosen based on potential rider density within certain communities as well as safe, adequate access to the location by Blake families as well as the school bus. Whenever possible shuttle pickups will be assigned pickup times late in morning routes, assuring shorter bus rides for larger groups of students, however based on the logistics of the route, additional home stops may occur after the shuttle stop.
Q - $2,400 for bus service is a lot. Why is bus transportation so expensive?
A - Rising fuel prices, strict, ongoing regulatory compliance requirements for driver and vehicle safety as well as a significant, industry-wide driver shortage all contribute to school bus transportation being one of the most expensive forms of ground transportation that exist today. The Blake School makes every effort to keep our services fees affordable based on what the industry allows.
Q - I signed up for home service. Will the bus pull into my driveway?
A - The Blake Transportation team is committed to picking up your child at your doorstep whenever possible. Three factors - safety, legality and timing - contribute to the final decision on whether the bus can pick up your child in your driveway or private community. This decision is made in August when routes are created and test-driven by Blake drivers. Even if we agree to a pickup in your driveway, day-to-day weather conditions, traffic delays or other issues may require your child to meet the bus at the nearest public roadway that the bus can navigate safely. This will be communicated to you by Blake dispatch.
Q - How long will my child be on the bus?
A - Blake's transportation boundary covers an area over 600 square miles. Although we strive to provide timely bus rides for all, some students will be on the bus for longer periods of time than others. A number of factors contribute to this inconsistency including distance from school, rider density and road restrictions in certain neighborhoods. The general rule applied to all routes is that no child will be on a bus longer than one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon. Students with special circumstances as well as students who live more than 8 miles away from their campus may need to be on the bus a little longer.
Q - My child signed up for after school Blake activities, does Blake Transportation offer evening bus services?
A - Blake Transportation does not currently offer home service to students participating in afterschool activities. We are however, providing campus-to-campus shuttle services. From the Blake Campus in Hopkins, we provide shuttle buses to both Highcroft in Wayzata and Northrop in Minneapolis. This service is fee-based and can be purchased per season or per activity. Both buses stage by 5:30pm, departing at 5:45pm.
Q - My child would like to be dropped off at different destinations in the afternoon. Is this possible?
A - Yes, when you purchase the home-service option you may select as many pick up and drop off location as you need. We are happy to accommodate any location as long as it is an area where Blake buses currently travel. Ballet class Tuesdays, Thursdays in Hopkins and home to Wayzata on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, no problem - Blake Transportation is at your service. Just be sure to communicate the location and schedules as early as possible before the school year starts.
Q - Bus safety was a concern at my last school, what does Blake do to ensure the safety of everyone at the bus stop and on board the bus?
A - Blake Transportation takes school bus safety very seriously. Bus riders are told the rules and they are expected to follow them. Misbehavior is reported via an incident misconduct report that is completed by the driver. Appropriate discipline, up to and including bus suspension is applied based on the specific nature and reoccurrence of the inappropriate behavior. All bus safety rules are posted conspicuously in the bus and reinforced in the classroom, in drills and by the driver. Bus transportation is statistically the safest form of ground transportation and Blake strives to keep it that way.
Q - In the past I've had trouble getting a hold of someone in transportation. Who will be available to take my call when I need answers right away?
A - Blake Transportation deploys multiple layers of communication to ensure you either have the answer before you ask the question or have someone available to respond to your calls and emails timely. During routes, we have a dispatcher onsite to answer any operational questions including status updates on buses, misplaced items or other issues. Additionally we utilize an automated calling system to notify you on the phone of your choice about general bus delays during inclement weather or extended traffic delays. Lastly, a transportation administrator is on duty throughout the day and into the evening to help resolve any service concerns or other issues that might arise from our bus operations.
Q - How long will the bus wait before you leave my stop?
A - Drivers are instructed to wait one minute past the scheduled pick up time before departing for the next stop on the route. Riders are strongly encouraged to be ready 5-10 minutes ahead of your scheduled pick up time.
Q - Can my child ride a different bus to go home with a friend?
A - If your child needs to be dropped at a different stop, a bus pass must be issued. Passes can only be issued with authorization from the child's parent or legal guardian. Contact your child's school at least two hours prior to scheduled pick up or drop off and they will issue a bus pass to your child directly. The rider is responsible for providing the bus pass to the driver. Riders without bus passes may not ride a different bus or be let off at a different stop.
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