opt field trip bus

• What are Charter Schools?
• Get the Facts
• Choosing the Right School
• Find a Charter School
• Apply to a Charter School
• Virtual School Visits Calendar
• COVID-19 Resources
• Applying for a Charter
• Starting Up a School
• Operating Schools
• Resource Library
• Events Calendar
• Inclusive Education
• School Vendors
• Publications
• Fact Sheets
• School Data
• Growth + Demand
• Laws + Regulations
• Achievement
• Special Populations
• Lift the Cap!
• Shaping Futures
• #FamiliesNeedToKnow
• Charters Open Doors
• Safety for All Students

FAQ - Field Trips

Does the doe provide free transportation for field trips, how do schools arrange transportation for field trips.

Yes, as long as trips comply with the following stipulations, as well as others listed on the DOE field trip site :

• Trips cannot be scheduled on dates which are half days for any grade.
• Trips are between October and June of the school year.
• Trips are within the five boroughs of New York City.
• All requests are received by OPT at least two weeks before the trip date.
• All assigned trips are confirmed with the bus company dispatcher one to three days before the scheduled trip.
• Buses leave no earlier than 9:30 AM and are back at the school by 1:30 PM.

Schools can arrange to have yellow bus service, take public transportation, use a combination of yellow bus service and public transportation or charter a coach-style or yellow bus for their field trips based on the requirements outlined in the OPT website and in the Online Field Trip Application Guide . Sign up on OPT's field trip request system .

The NYC Common Online Application

Families are still able to apply to charter schools for the 2020-21 school year while NYC experiences school closures due to COVID-19. Apply online to multiple charter schools in your neighborhood.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity. The Common Online Charter School Application deadline is April 24. Apply Now!

*Specific application deadlines may vary by school. Some schools may close their application window by April 1.

Apply Online Now

The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items.

• Transportation Overview

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.

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.

• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- English English
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- Spanish Spanish
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- Chinese Chinese
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- Bangla Bengali
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- Russian Russian
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- Urdu Urdu
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- Arabic Arabic
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- French (Haiti) Haitian Creole
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- Korean Korean
• A-415 DOE Emergency Notification System -- French (France) French
• A-670 School Trips -- English English
• A-670 School Trips -- Spanish Spanish
• A-670 School Trips -- Chinese Chinese
• A-670 School Trips -- Bangla Bengali
• A-670 School Trips -- Russian Russian
• A-670 School Trips -- Urdu Urdu
• A-670 School Trips -- Arabic Arabic
• A-670 School Trips -- French (Haiti) Haitian Creole
• A-670 School Trips -- Korean Korean
• A-670 School Trips -- French (France) French
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- English English
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- Spanish Spanish
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- Chinese Chinese
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- Bangla Bengali
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- Russian Russian
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- Urdu Urdu
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- Arabic Arabic
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- French (Haiti) Haitian Creole
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- Korean Korean
• A-780 Students in Temporary Housing -- French (France) French
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- English English
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- Spanish Spanish
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- Chinese Chinese
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- Bangla Bengali
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- Russian Russian
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- Urdu Urdu
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- Arabic Arabic
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- French (Haiti) Haitian Creole
• A-801 Pupil Transportation -- Korean Korean
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- English English
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- Spanish Spanish
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- Chinese Chinese
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- Bangla Bengali
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- Russian Russian
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- Urdu Urdu
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- Arabic Arabic
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- French (Haiti) Haitian Creole
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- Korean Korean
• A-802 GPS Equipment Installation and Training and Dry-Runs of Bus Routes -- French (France) French
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- English English
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- Spanish Spanish
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- Chinese Chinese
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- Bangla Bengali
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- Russian Russian
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- Urdu Urdu
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- Arabic Arabic
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- French (Haiti) Haitian Creole
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- Korean Korean
• A-832 Student-to-Student Discrimination, Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying -- French (France) French
• C-100 Disciplinary Conference for Certain School Bus Drivers and Escorts -- English English

See what's new in student transportation for this school year

View information and download the app

Transportation

• Transportation Eligibility
• Pre-K and Early Intervention Bus Companies
• Bus Companies for School Age Children
• Transportation Guide
• Safe Travel Tips
• Family Responsibilities and Expectations
• Transportation Rights
• Weather Emergency Procedures
• Contact Information

Free Student Meals

See what's on the menu

See Modernization Plan

• Parents & Families
• about this site

The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items.

Transportation Vendors

The following information is for Transportation Vendors .

For information relevant to all vendors, visit General Information for Vendors .

The Contractor's Manual

Contractors are responsible for understanding and carrying out all of the duties and responsibilities set forth in the Standard Operating Procedures for School Bus Contractors Providing Service under Contracts with the NYCDOE (herein expressed as "Contractor's Manual") and in the applicable contract(s). In the event of a conflict between the Contractor’s Manual and the applicable Contract(s), the applicable Contract(s) shall govern. 

• Vehicle Specifications
• Driver and Attendant Certification Process & Responsibilities
• Violations, Procedures & Assessment of Liquidated Damages
• Vehicle Inspection Standards, Maintenance & Safety
• Investigations Procedures
• Accidents, Emergencies & Other Delays
• Routing & Scheduling System
• Field Trip Procedures
• Picking of Runs

Standard Operating Procedures

Visit the Standard Operating Procedures Modernization Plan page to learn more about the installation and use of equipment/devices and training for the recording, reporting, or transmitting information regarding the location of vehicles and/or students.

Electric Bus Seminar

OPT, in conjunction with the EPA, Con-Ed, Mayor’s Office and NYSERDA, recently held a virtual  electric bus seminar  to inform vendors of all the great opportunities available to them to assist in electrifying their fleet! 

Vendor Documents

• Driver/Attendant Approval Form
• Information Form Bus Attendant
• Attendant Medical Form
• Information Form Bus Driver
• Student Emergency Contact Form
• School Bus Incident Reporting Procedures
• School Bus Incident Form
• Contractor System Guide
• Section 11 Attachments
• Car Seat Retraining Certificate Template
• Wheelchair Retraining Certificate Template
• Sleeping Children Sign

Tools & Resources

• Information for Bus Companies  (Requires login)
• NYC Public Schools Calendar
• Non-Public Schools Calendar
• Vendor Information System  (Requires login)
• Vendor Integration  (Requires login)
• OPT Contracts  (Requires login)
• Accidents  (Requires login)

Maps & Routes

• Map Portal  (Requires login)
• Summer Map Portal  (Requires login)
• Bus Route Status  (Requires login)
• Special Education Routing System  (Requires login)
• Route Integration System  (Requires login)
• MyGeotab User Access Form

Call Recording & Attendance

• OPT Call Recording System  (Requires login)
• Pre-K Call Recording System  (Requires login)
• Drivers & Attendants System  (Requires login)

Other Applications

• School Bus Violations  (Requires login)
• Field Trips  (Requires login)
• Pre-K/Early Intervention Site and Rider System  (Requires login)
• Vehicle System  (Requires login)
• Pre-K/El Site Calendar System  (Requires login)
• Summer Pre-K/El Rider System  (Requires login)

NYC Bus Lane Use

Per NYC Traffic Rules , school buses are authorized to use New York City bus lanes when transporting passengers.

• For the definition of a school bus, see section 4-01(b)
• For specific bus lane restrictions, see section 4-12(m)

We share this information so that your drivers have every option to reduce traffic delays and ride duration for NYC Students.

How to Support Bus Lane Use

Remind your drivers that school buses with passengers are allowed to use NYC bus lanes , and make sure they are familiar with the rules and definitions above. 

• Verbally communicate to drivers the legal use of NYC bus lanes by vehicles transporting students
• Encourage drivers to use NYC bus lanes to reduce traffic delays and ride duration when possible
• Add the bus lane rules to the training materials you give to new drivers 
• Add the bus lane rules to the training refresh materials you give to employed drivers 

Working with NYCDOT & NYPD for Success

We engaged the NYPD and NYCDOT to ensure all relevant city agencies share a common understanding about this policy, and to provide school bus vehicle information recorded in our Vehicle System  (log-in required) to the NYPD. 

Questions About NYC Bus Lane Use

If you have any questions regarding this policy/information you may contact Darren Johnson at OPT.

Health & Cleanliness

Nyc vaccine mandate.

NYC has discontinued the Key to NYC vaccination requirement.

Cleaning & Disinfection 

The interior of each vehicle must be cleaned and either swept or vacuumed thoroughly after each route AM/PM run and/or at least once each day. The Contractor shall be responsible for cleaning and disinfecting seats and all safety equipment and accessories as often as necessary for sanitary reasons and to maintain the comfort of passengers. Additionally, the exterior of each vehicle must be washed at least weekly and must be maintained in as clean a condition as possible, weather and other conditions permitting.

Resources from the NYC Department of Health (DOH)

• DOH's Coronavirus Page
• FAQs for Schools & Families

Related Links