Baltimore parents fear kids aren’t safe riding transit to school, survey finds

Half of Baltimore City Public Schools parents who responded to a recent survey fear their children are not safe riding public transit to school.

The study conducted by a school board advisory group had just 30 respondents, a tiny sampling of city schools families. But it marks the first time in at least a decade that anyone connected to the school system or the Maryland Transit Administration has attempted to gather parents’ views on their children’s commutes.

The results echo a Banner investigation published last year. It found that as many as 25,000 Baltimore middle and high school students depend on unreliable public transit to get to school — often enduring long, unsafe commutes that cause them to miss critical instruction time and too often fail their first-period classes.

The school system stops offering yellow bus service to most students after fifth grade.

Chartae’ Anderson, vice chair of the Parent and Community Advisory Board, which conducted the survey, said parents would like to see better communication between the Maryland Transit Administration and Baltimore City Public Schools when there are incidents on transit that may affect students’ physical or mental health. Parents are nervous when they hear something may have happened but don’t know what the facts are, she said.

Parents said they don’t believe transit or school officials respond appropriately when there are problems.

“When I send my kid off to go take the bus early in the morning to go to school, they are on the bus stop with grown people, they’re on the bus with the community,” Anderson said. “That’s trust in the system.”

While state officials haggle over funding the Maryland Transit Administration’s buses and trains in Baltimore, Anderson said she believes there are concrete steps that could improve service and don’t cost money.

When there is a fight or other incident on a public bus carrying students, she said, MTA could report that immediately to the school system. Students told The Banner last year that they are sexually harassed and witness stabbings and shootings on public buses.

The advisory group’s survey asked yes-or-no questions but left room for written responses.

Parents complained about long wait times between buses and a transit app that riders say often displays inaccurate information about arrival times. Sixty-six percent of parents reported not receiving timely or clear communication about transit issues.

Fifty-five percent of parents who answered the survey said their children had missed school because of transportation issues, and 20% said they had used ride-sharing services when buses and trains were not running on time.

In Baltimore City Public Schools, yellow bus service stops when universal school choice begins in middle school. Students can attend any middle or high school that suits them, a policy designed to give children a way out of poorly performing neighborhood schools.

But choice doesn’t come with a ride.

The Banner found a quarter of the public buses students take to school show up late or not at all.

MTA officials have said they can do little more to solve the problem because they are limited by federal transit rules and would need significant increases in state funding.

“The safety of every rider, including students, is the MTA’s top priority,” the MTA said in a statement in response to the survey. “The agency continues to invest in tools and programs that enhance safety.”

The MTA said it implemented a rider code of conduct that bans passengers from transit for certain offenses. Last year it also launched the See Say mobile app, which enables riders to report safety concerns and communicate in real time with MTA Police.

The agency said serious crime across the system decreased 13% in 2025.

The school system declined to comment on the survey results. A summary was presented to the city school board at a February meeting. The board has said transportation is among the concerns community members want to see a new school system CEO address.

Parents surveyed said they are grateful for the routes that have buses arriving about every 10 minutes, among the most frequent in Baltimore, and for stops near some schools.

Anderson said advisory group members want to engage in discussions with the MTA, transit advocates and others who have been active in looking for solutions for students.

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.