The Importance Of Transportation Planning: School Transportation Systems
When it comes to the importance of transportation planning, many Americans often focus on the construction of highway systems and city roads. However, transportation planning also includes school transportation.
In recent years school transportation has been lagging behind. This is a problem because lagging school transportation impacts student education, the ability for schools to deliver their core goals, and taxpayers.
Consider the following reasons why civil engineer services are necessary for school transportation planning across the United States.
- Education. The first thing that points to the importance of transportation planning for schools is obvious. If a child is unable to get to school on time, they’re losing a valuable education. Approximately 50% of children use transportation that’s provided by the school. However, nearly one-third of the country’s major roads are in mediocre condition.
- The size of the system. The purpose of transportation planning becomes most evident in public transportation. Many American workers and students use public transportation to get to their jobs, their colleges, and their homes. School transportation is the largest form of public transportation in the United States.
Therefore, it only makes sense for civil engineering firms to be consulted for improved structural design regarding the school transportation system. - The need for choice. One of the most important choices in a parent’s life is the choice of their child’s school. However, that choice doesn’t exist if the parent is unable to get their child to that specific school. American families who choose a school outside of the child’s neighborhood are made to arrange transportation for themselves. This creates an equity problem. That is families who can afford transportation are able to choose the school they’d like their child to attend. Families who must use school transportation are unable to choose the school their child attends.
- Environmental protection. With electric cars on the rise, it only makes sense to want school transportation systems that prioritize the environment as much as other transportation systems. And yet, many school buses and transportation routes are out of date. This creates problems with greenhouse gas emissions and wildlife.
The importance of transportation planning is understood by the top engineering consulting companies. For more information on how your community can benefit from transportation planning firms, contact ACI Corporation today.