In light of the recent delays and school closings, Ron Farrand, director of facilities and transportation, said students should exercise caution when getting on and off of the buses.

“Ice is (a) big concern. (Students) need to make sure they are clear of the bus when waiting for pickup and when the bus leaves the stop after drop off, and (they) need to be at their stop early so they are not running to the bus,” Farrand said. “Also, visibility can be obstructed by the snow piles so it is important (students) are in a place clearly visible to the bus driver and other motorists.”

Farrand also said the cold did cause some problems when starting the buses during the days that school was closed, but they were all running for school as normal by last Friday. However, if conditions are poor, Farrand gave his opinion on the transportation department’s ability to safely and timely transport students.

“Generally, freezing temperatures and winter storms just mean extra care and caution by the drivers. If there’s a severe storm, condition of roadways, temperatures, presence of fog, visibility of roads and surroundings for drivers to safely navigate routes are all taken into account when deciding whether there will be a closing or delay,” Farrand said.

Evelyn Shi, frequent bus rider and freshman, said she thinks that bus safety in the winter is very important, especially with ice on the roads and sidewalks.

Shi said, “I think that in the winter students should mainly just be careful when walking to the bus stop. Otherwise, they might slip and get hurt, but a lot of students will probably still run because it’s cold outside and they don’t want to wait for long in the cold.”