We deserve safe and sustainable routes to school for our kids. Students who attend University High must either risk their lives biking or walking up to 6.5 miles one-way, or having family drive them, which clogs our streets, pollutes our air, and creates an incredible burden for working parents. Unlike many neighboring cities, Irvine’s arterial streets are more like freeways: up to six lanes wide and with highway speeds, contributing to these statistics:

• On average, 37 people are killed or severely injured on Irvine roads each year.
• 86% of bicycle collisions in the City of Irvine occur within 1,000 yards of a school (about a half mile).
• A child is the victim in almost half of all bicycle collisions in Irvine.
• The segment of Campus Drive adjacent to University High School is one of the top five hotspots for traffic collisions, according to the City’s Long Range Safety Plan.
• From 2015 to 2019, there were 5 accidents per mile where people were killed or severely injured.
• A section of Jeffrey Road leading up to Northwood High School is also one of the top five hotspots for traffic collisions according to the City’s Long Range Safety Plan.
• People under age 19 are disproportionately involved in collisions in Irvine.
• The City of Irvine expects a 23% increase in traffic collisions with injuries in 2023-24, compared to 2020-21, according to Irvine’s draft budget (see page 220).

For years, parents at UHS -- which draws from the largest geographic area of any high school in Irvine -- have asked IUSD to subsidize a bus to the campus, which would be the safest and most sustainable transportation alternative for our students. Currently, about 300 students take 6 buses from residential areas in Turtle Rock, UCI, University Town Center, Quail Hill, Laguna Altura and Hidden Canyon to Rancho San Joaquin Middle School. The existing buses are 70% subsidized by IUSD, costing parents less than $400 per child, per year.

After significant parent advocacy, the district offered to provide one unsubsidized bus to UHS if parents could raise $75,000 -- a whopping $1,500 upfront, per student. The cost created an undue burden for many families, and we did not achieve the threshold.

But the issue is about more than just these families. Without a bus, families of freshmen and sophomores from Los Olivos/Irvine Spectrum/Quail Hill/Laguna Altura/Hidden Canyon, will add approximately 150 cars to a busy thoroughfare, resulting in 225 Metric Tons of CO2 in one school year. Or, our teens will travel 5 to 6 miles by bicycle, crossing major thoroughfares, freeway on-ramps, and even the SR-133 freeway!  

The Irvine City Council needs to act now, and collaborate with the district or the local transit agency, to subsidize a bus to the high school. It's the only safe and sustainable option. It's not just what's best for the families, it's what's right for the community.