District launches per-ride bus fee system

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Douglas County School District recently became the first district in Colorado to charge a fee for bus service.

Interestingly, the fee is based on usage rather than being a flat price. The district is using Zonar’s ZPass system to track students on and off the bus and to charge 50 cents per ride.

(SBF reported in the spring that the program was being considered.)

“The safety and security provided by Z-Pass make the implementation well worth the money for the system,” said Paul Balon, the district’s director of transportation.

Beyond the security benefits, the program is expected to raise about $2 million, which would offset a substantial portion of the district’s $17-million budget for transportation.

“In the last two years, we have cut $2.4 million and $1.9 million from the transportation operational budget,” Balon notes.