Picking up children from school? Think about reducing your “idle” time
Why are school buses disappearing and car pickup lines getting longer? The yellow school bus used to be a rite of passage and main mode of school transportation for decades, but there has been a shift away from using buses for several reasons. The problem apparently emerged before the pandemic. Yellow school bus service steadily declined from 2013 to 2019, according to data from School Bus Fleet. Then, during the 2019-2020 school year, many schools closed after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, leaving school bus drivers without work and adequate pay. Many of these drivers found other employment by the time schools opened. Additionally, school districts looked at cutting bus services to save money. For example, the Houston Independent School District cut bus services to save the school district $3 million during the 2024-25 school year, and the Jefferson County Board of Education in Kentucky eliminated bus routes for kids who attend traditional and magnet schools in the state's largest school district. (The yellow school bus – once a symbol of integration – is becoming a relic of another era.)
How do kids get to school without buses? Some use public transport, but increasingly, the parents drop them off and pick them up by car in long lines. The many cars idling in a pick-up line emit a lot of toxic gases into the air that kids breathe while they are waiting. Idling cars poses a significant and preventable health risk to children; even brief exposure can increase the risk of asthma, respiratory infections and inflammation. A UK study in 2020 discovered that dangerous PM2.5 from vehicles lining up to drop off children was the main source of air pollution around the school. In addition, PM2.5 levels were nearly three times higher during morning drop-off periods than the afternoon pick-up or active school periods (because many students were picked up from off-site parking after extra-curricular activities). (Children face three times more air pollution during the school run) Thankfully, there are a number of solutions to help kids–and parents–endure this everyday necessity.
Idling is a surprisingly high cause of carbon emissions: Australian research suggests drivers leave their cars idling up to 20% of their total travel time, producing as much as 8% of a trip's emissions. However, new research showed how primary school students from two Melbourne schools made a real difference using a simple, child-led solution: talking about the problem with their parents. Student-led conversations successfully helped cut idling by up to 40% during afternoon pick-up and 18% in the mornings (parents are usually more in a hurry in the morning to get their kids to school and themselves to work). (These students cut air pollution near their schools—by taking aim at their parents' idling cars)
Make sure your tires are inflated properly and that your engines are maintained. Cars burn fuel more efficiently when they’re in proper working order. (Breathing Easier in the School Drop Off & Pick Up Line)
Ride-sharing and carpooling has increased, and less cars means less pollution at the curb. Apps like GoKid, Kango, HopSkipDrive, and Zum can help you find a safe transportation service in your area (and you may even want to apply for driving if you have extra time and seats!)
Some schools can provide safe and accessible off-site parking drop-off points to help reduce levels of air pollution directly around the school. Parking and walking also helps parents get more exercise, too!
If you live within a short distance of the school, consider walking or biking the whole way, at least a couple days a week or whenever children don’t have fragile or large loads to bring in (school projects or instruments for example). Some communities have even started a “bike bus” where groups of parents and kids bike to school together, increasing safety and decreasing stress (kids who walk or bike to school are less stressed and better focused).
Finally, planting green hedges as physical barriers can prevent air pollutants reaching children from cars at drop-off points and the main road. This is important because playgrounds close to a main road can experience high PM2.5 whenever traffic on the road increases. We wrote about the real effects of trees and plants on PM2.5 here, which of course you can add at home, too.
