NYC Launches School Bus App So Parents Can Track Journeys In Real-Time

Chancellor David C. Banks has announced the launch of the NYC School Bus App, which allows parents to see where their child’s bus is in real-time.

Banks and New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched the app to provide peace of mind to families with students who ride yellow buses by allowing them to track their bus trips in real-time.

For a city with the largest school district in the nation, it buses approximately 150,000 students daily.

NYC School Bus App

The NYC School Bus App, developed in collaboration with Via, is a partnership between bus drivers, families, and schools.

Families with students in grades K-12 can sign up for the app as part of ongoing efforts to enhance services for students who receive busing from the New York City Public Schools’ Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT).

“Every eligible student has a right to transportation service that truly serves them. I’m thrilled to be launching this system for families across the city and to provide peace of mind to parents as they send their babies off to school each day,” said Banks.

“I’m thankful to our partners in the City Council who helped advocate for this tool for our school communities and for our bus vendors and drivers for working in partnership with us to roll this out for families.”

To gain access, users must ensure they have activated their NYC Schools Account (NYCSA), have their student’s nine-digit ID number on hand, and then download the NYC School Bus App from their device’s mobile app store.

They can then use the NYCSA information to log in and select the child whose route they would like to track.

Around 75% of drivers have signed up for the app, and the city is working to reach full participation so all children’s routes can eventually be available.

As families and community members provide feedback on the app, the Department of Education will make updates and add new features.

These will include the expected arrival time of the school bus, information about the time and location where their child is getting on and off the bus, and notifications about delays.