Education
Transportation
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL
Bastrop ISD school bus overhaul: What you need to know
City explores exible public transit options Bastrop residents may soon have more exible transportation options as the city explores a partnership with Capital Area Rural Transportation System, or CARTS, and Uber. In a nutshell During a Feb. 25 meeting, City Manager Sylvia Carrillo-Trevino shared that she’s work- ing with CARTS to create a proof of concept involving Uber ridesharing. If approved, the city could launch a voucher program through Uber for Business, subsidiz- ing a set number of rides for residents. Going forward Carrillo-Trevino said she will continue collaborating with CARTS and Uber to develop the pilot program and assess its budgetary impact.
$5.27M Agnes Street project to ease trac Roadwork on the $5.27 million Agnes Street extension project is underway following a ground- breaking ceremony on Feb. 15. The details The roadway will be expanded from two lanes to four, between Home Depot Way and Schaefer Blvd., providing access from Home Depot to Walmart without drivers needing to get onto SH 71. Why it matters City ocials said the goal is to reduce trac congestion and improve access to nearby busi- nesses, healthcare facilities and residences. Infrastructure upgrades such as water, waste- water, and storm sewer lines will also be installed along the new roadway.
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Bastrop ISD will enhance and expand its bus eet from 108 to 129—each outtted with seat belts—and introduce additional routes starting this fall. What’s happening The decision follows a Jan. 28 trustee-approved amendment to the district’s agreement with Gold- Star Transit, which resulted in a 5.5% pay increase for the company. Deputy Superintendent Kristi Lee said that 77% of the buses in the current eet have seat belts. The revised agreement will make seat belts standard on all of them. What’s changing? By the 2026-27 school year, the district will add: • 40 new seat belt-equipped school buses • Five additional activity buses used for extracur- ricular programs
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Breaking it down
Bastrop ISD will completely revamp its bus eet by the 2026-27 school year.
SCHAEFER BLVD.
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2025-26 school year
2026-27 school year
SOURCE: CITY OF BASTROPCOMMUNITY IMPACT
The timeline Dec. 14, 2021: City Council contracted Kimley-Horn for design and construction phase services Oct. 1, 2024: City Council approved a construc- tion contract with Joe Bland Construction Oct. 22, 2024: Consideration of a contract with Dial Development Services Ltd. for construction inspection services Feb. 15: City ocials broke ground on the project Stay tuned The project should be completed by late 2025, according to city documents.
36 seat belt-equipped buses
4 additional seat belt-equipped buses
24 replacements 12 new
4 new bus routes
5 activity buses, resulting in ve each for Cedar Creek and Bastrop schools
8 new bus routes
SOURCE: BASTROP ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT
• 12 new bus routes to reduce the commute time for students • 3% pay raise for bus drivers to aid in recruitment and retention
Notable quote “I know that, you know, there’s debate about whether seat belts work or whether they don’t, but we believe that they are a safety feature, and we wanted all of our buses to have them,” Lee said.
BASTROP 739 State Hwy 71 (512) 308-0250
ELGIN 1100 US-290 (512) 285-2741
GIDDINGS 1920 E Austin St (979) 212-4031
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