• RCSD/RTS TRANSPORTATION 

    BUSES AND IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

     STUDENTS MUST CARRY THEIR SOTA ID AT ALL TIMES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY 

     RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR STUDENT TRAVEL ON PUBLIC TRANSIT

     The Rochester City School District provides transportation services to students who live more than 1.5 miles from their school by providing them bus passes that allows them to ride Regional Transit Service buses. The students use transportation service that is accessible to the general public. 

     Students are entitled to transportation from home to school and school to home only. 

     The majority of our schools are serviced by Express Transfer Routes. These routes are designed to bypass the downtown area.

    Students assigned to Express Transfer Routes must use it to get to school and to go home at the end of the day. 

     If a student misses the Express Transfer Bus, the student will be responsible for his/her own fare. 

    Students participating in after school activities must receive an Activity Pass to use along with their RTS card on regular bus lines 60-minutes after the school’s regular dismissal time.

    Other students use regular line service which may require a transfer in the downtown area. 

    • The Rochester City School District expects students to behave appropriately on buses as in school buildings. In addition, as buses are moving objects with additional safety factors, we expect the following: 
    • The RTS driver needs to concentrate on safe operation of the bus. Students must not engage in any act that distracts the driver from being able to do that. 
    • Students may not engage in any act that endangers or threatens to endanger the health, safety or welfare of others. 
    • No food, drink, smoking or music (without ear piece) is allowed on any RTS bus. 
    • No fighting, profanity, or vandalism. 
    • No possession of any sharp instrument, tool, or weapon of any kind. 
    • Recognize and respect the rights and personal property of other traveling passengers. 

     In the event that a student is asked to surrender his bus pass by a school official due to misconduct on the bus by the bus operator or Rochester Police Dept. (RPD), please do so cooperatively to minimize the consequence of such behaviors.

    Confiscation of a pass will result in a loss of rider privilege and the student will be responsible for his/her own fare. At any time a student may be asked to get off a bus if he/she engages in unsafe or inappropriate behavior. Repeated offenses could result in permanent loss of transportation. 

     The student’s School Identification Card with the RTS logo and Student Photo on it will serve as the student’s personal bus pass. 

    • A Student Photo is a REQUIRED component for the Smartcard IDs.  A Student ID will not print without a photo.  
    • Students may board a bus with a valid RTS Bus Pass. If a student does not have a valid pass, the student will be required to pay regular fare or get on the bus. 
    • Student may not give his/her School Identification Card to another student for any purpose, including use as a bus pass. 
    • Students may not mutilate, deface, replicate, cover the face on, or place someone else’s picture on the School Identification Card. 
    • Pass is valid only during hours posted on the back of the pass.  Students riding on Express Transfer Routes must board those routes in the morning when traveling to school.  They cannot use their pass on regular line buses. 
    • In the afternoon, they must ride the Express Transfer Routes home.   They cannot use their pass on regular line service until 1 ½ hours after regular dismissal time (4:00 PM).  Their pass will be valid until 9:00 PM. 
    • Students with “All Day Passes” may travel on any city route from 5:30 AM – 9:00 PM. 
    • After leaving the bus, the student must remain on the sidewalk until the bus pulls away. 

     REPLACING A LOST PASS 

     Each student will be entitled to ONE (1) replacement card per year at no cost.  The lost pass must be immediately reported to the Main Office, prior to 12:00 PM in order for the request to be sent to Transportation.  T

    here is no guarantee that the replacement pass will be received the same day. The Main Office secretary can provide a 2+2/All Day pass to students awaiting the delivery of the replacement pass if necessary.   

     If the pass is lost again, a parent/guardian must apply for a new one at the Transportation Department at 835 Hudson Ave, Bldg.1;  there is a replacement fee of $2.00.

    If a pass is confiscated by a school official due to poor behavior by the bus operator or RPD, the student’s parent/guardian must go to 835 Hudson Ave., Bldg. 1 in order to retrieve the pass.  

     There is a minimum 5-day suspension for confiscated cards. 

    TRANSPORTATION CONTACT INFORMATION

    SOTA Academy Director – 585-242-7682 x6111

     RCSD Transportation Office:  585-336-4000 

     RTS/RGRTA Customer Service:   585-288-1700

     RTS/RGRTA Lost and Found: 585-654-0610