Metro offers new routes as back-to-school bus trips return

Driving the news: Eligible CPS students in grades K-6 ride yellow buses, while students in grades 7-12 use standard Metro buses.

• Some charter and private school students also receive passes.
• Metro expects around 11,000 student riders daily, based on last year.

What to know: Student passes generally work weekdays from 6-9:30am and 1-5pm. That’s when regular riders are most likely to encounter the school rush.

• Students with sports or other extracurriculars can ride later.

Zoom in: Three routes debuted Sunday — the 47 Avondale-Oakley, 53 St. Bernard-Oakley and 70 UC Connector — while more than 20 routes received schedule or run-time changes.

At least half of CPS riders will have a one-seat trip, and none of them should need more than one transfer, Metro spokesperson Brandy Jones tells Axios.

• "If you miss your bus because you overslept, now you have another option coming 15 minutes later," she says.

Pro tips: Check the Transit app to compare routes, check detours and watch buses move in real time.

• Parents and guardians can ride free with students Aug. 19-26 to learn their routes.

One more thing: Metro has used school orientations to remind students of its behavior policy and to remind them they're sharing the bus with people who aren’t classmates.

• "We want to make sure that every rider, whether you're going to work or you're going to school, you have an enjoyable experience," Jones says, "and that we're all being good neighbors on board the bus."