Transportation

Download 2019-2020 Marlborough Bus Routes

The City of Marlboro provides bus transportation for all AMSA students who are residents of Marlborough.

• North Reading Transportation is the City of Marlboro’s contracted provider for transportation services. You can contact NRT at 978-562-5186.
• Students should use the bus stop that is the closest walking distance from their homes. We strongly recommend that students arrive at their stops 10 minutes before the indicated pick-up time. Bus routes and pick-up/drop-off times are approximate based on enrollment, which can fluctuate, and buses can run a bit early or late on any given day. Additionally, parents are cautioned that buses may run late the first few days of school as drivers and families acclimate themselves to new schedules, new routes and, in some cases, new schools.
• Students are only allowed to ride their own school bus. Children who ride the bus are not allowed to ride another bus to visit a friend, attend an event, etc. Parents will have to make other arrangements for play dates, activities, etc.
• Before requesting a bus stop change, please review the FAQs below.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I request a change to my student’s current bus stop?

Marlborough Public Schools is fortunate to have the resources necessary to provide free transportation services for all students who reside in approved transportation areas. Please note that the Whitcomb Middle School uses a walking radius of approximately 1.5 miles. Marlborough High School uses a walking radius of approximately 2 miles. There is no walking radius for the elementary schools; all elementary-age students get a bus ride if they choose. Each change request will be considered individually to help provide families with the service to which they are entitled.

MPS uses a Global Positioning System (GPS) routing program to help maximize the efficiency of our routes. Please note that routes are organized to ensure an acceptable capacity on each bus as well as an appropriate commute time to school. The district’s most important goal is to guarantee a safe commute for students to and from the designated bus stop areas. It is the responsibility of parents and guardians to ensure students - especially our elementary-age students - are appropriately supervised at designated bus stop areas.

Qualifying stops: We will only change a bus stop if certain conditions exist (see below). We cannot change a bus stop to accommodate family convenience. We cannot approve specific house stops unless the residence is located in an isolated area with no sidewalk access for elementary-age students.

The following examples outline some our most frequent requests:

• My student is not currently assigned to a bus stop but should be. Contact Lynn McCluskey at l.mccluskey@amsacs.org.
• My student’s current bus stop is too far away. Our criterion designates more than .25 miles from home for elementary, more than .5 miles from home for middle-school, and more than 1 mile from home for high school as eligible for review.
• My student does not have a safe walking route to the bus stop. No student should be crossing a major roadway to access the bus. (e.g., Route 20, Route 85, etc.) Elementary-age students should have access to sidewalks on busy roadways and be accompanied by parents/guardians to/from the bus stop at all times.
• My student’s current stop location is unsafe. Students are asked to stand on sidewalks until the bus arrives and deploys its flashing lights and stop sign. This is especially important at the intersection of busy roads.

When requesting a bus stop change, please submit the following information to Lynn McCluskey at l.mccluskey@amsacs.org:
a. Student’s name
b. Attending school
c. Home address
d. New stop request (Please note: We do not provide house stops even if the residence is on the current bus route.)

What if I have concerns about the winter time?

We understand that recent winters have been exceptionally harsh on road conditions. We work especially hard during the winter months to work with the city promptly and on an ongoing basis when concerns arise. Please communicate your concerns about routes and bus stops impacted by snow removal to Lynn McCluskey at l.mccluskey@amsacs.org.

What if my student is having an issue with other students on the bus?

Please contact your child's Dean of Students immediately if a concern arises about behavior on the bus.  They will help to resolve behavioral issue that jeopardize the well-being and/or safety of other riders.  Access to bus transportation is a privilege.  Multiple infractions may result in removal from the bus.

Registration for Regional Busing for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year is now closed. Buses are at maximum capacity.

Buses serve our regional core towns of Hudson, Maynard, and Clinton along with an additional stop in Shrewsbury.  For more information on the updated (2/11/2021) Department of Elementary and Secondary Education transportation guidance, please visit here.

All bus stops are subject to change. Please note that we will reconfigure the routes once ridership has been finalized. Please contact Liana McLaren at l.mclaren@amsacs.org with any questions.

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Regional Busing Inclement Weather Policy

Regional Bus Routes - Spring 2021

AMSA has partnered with CarpooltoSchool to give parents a safe, secure, easy way to start or join a carpool. You can now connect online with other AMSA families at an exclusive AMSA carpool webpage to create carpools for taking kids to/from school, extracurricular activities, and events. There is no cost to you for this service. It is being offered for free by AMSA to help make scheduling easier for our families in the many communities where they reside.

Features include a secure matching service integrated with Google maps, scheduling, and built-in text messaging to remind parents when it's their turn to drive. All searching and communication between parents takes place on CarpooltoSchool’s secure website and mobile apps. Only AMSA families are allowed to have access to AMSA's carpool website and mobile apps.

How Does It Work?

• Create a profile on our CarpooltoSchool login page or mobile apps, which you can download at Apple Store or Google Play.
• Once you create a profile, you can do a search to "Find a match" based on the number of miles away from your home and the type of pool you are looking for (to/from school, sports team, etc.). Potential matches are displayed with estimated distances from your home.
• To contact any potential matches, you send a carpool invitation through CarpooltoSchool's internal email system. Personal emails are not shared. Addresses are shared only after a carpool is accepted. (Likewise, if you receive a carpool invitation, your address is not shared until you accept an invitation.)
• Through a personal dashboard, you keep track of carpools you are in, invitations you have received, and other information and tools.

Should you have any technical difficulties or questions (or wish to be removed from the service), please contact CarpooltoSchool directly by calling 800-514-3808, emailing custserv@carpooltoschool.com or Live Chat on the web app. Other questions can be sent to Lynn McCluskey at l.mccluskey@amsacs.org.