A new resource from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provides steps for designating school bus stops and supporting safe pedestrian behavior by students between their homes and bus stops.

The free, 22-page “Selecting School Bus Stop Locations: A Guide for School Transportation Professionals” is available for viewing and download on NHTSA’s Website.

“This guide was developed to provide school transportation professionals, school administrators and others who care about student transport to school with straightforward guidelines on selecting safe school bus stops,” said Leah Walton, NHTSA’s pedestrian and pupil transportation program manager.

Included are examples of state guidelines on the subject from Colorado and Alabama and district guidelines from Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota, Brevard District Schools in Florida and Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia.

As one state pupil transportation director is quoted in the guide, “There is no perfect school bus stop, because it is impossible to eliminate all potential hazards, but guidelines and training are still necessary to ensure that responsible parties are making the safest, most informed decisions when placing stops.”

The resource was prepared by the National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center with funding from NHTSA. Members of the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services and the National Association for Pupil Transportation provided insight and review.

The guide can be found at www.nhtsa.gov/school-buses in the “Useful Information” section.