December 6, 2023

Dear FUSD Families,

The Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) received direction from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) that our middle school and high school bus routes must only be loaded with two passengers per seat to comply with the Department of Transportation safety regulations. In order to meet this requirement, promote safety for our students, and improve transportation services for eligible students with the staffing and resources available, FUSD must make the following changes to bus routes effective January 4, 2024: 

• Discontinue transportation for middle and high school students attending out-of-boundary schools or magnet programs. 

  • Mountain Line transit bus passes for the 2024 Spring Semester will be purchased by the school district for these students upon request.

• Discontinue transportation for all high school students who live within the Flagstaff city limits. High schoolers living outside the city limits in areas such as Doney Park, Baderville, Parks, Bellemont, Mountainaire, Kachina Village, Cameron, Leupp, and so on will still be eligible for transportation.

  • Mountain Line transit bus passes for the 2024 Spring Semester will be purchased by the school district for these students upon request.

Please note these changes will not impact Summit High School students or students who receive special education, homeless/McKinney-Vento, or foster services and are eligible for transportation. 

Additional information will be sent to families affected directly by these changes along with information about Mountain Line passes and routes.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you or your family.

December 8, 2023

Mountain Line Information for Impacted Families

This information was sent to FUSD families directly affected by these changes, as well as information about Mountain Line passes and routes.

Mountain Line is prepared and can provide safe and reliable transportation for FUSD families. They already transport hundreds of students to and from school daily, and they look forward to welcoming more students to public transportation. Here are a few details about the new program they shared with FUSD:

• Safety is their number one priority, and they have many programs and procedures in place to promote a culture of safety. They use the free See Say app, which allows their riders to report any issues they are having while on the bus or at one of their bus stops. The communication goes directly to their dispatch team for an immediate response. All Mountain Line vehicles have multiple live cameras, so the dispatch team can see what is happening on a bus and communicate with the driver as needed. The drivers are a resource. Anyone who feels uncomfortable or unsafe on a bus should immediately report it to the driver and allow him/her to handle the situation. 
• Passes: FUSD plans to purchase a Mountain Line K-12 Spring Semester pass for any interested family. This pass is valid from January 1, 2023, to June 15, 2023. Students can receive the virtual pass via the Token Transit app, where the pass will be on the student’s phone and presented upon boarding the bus, or a physical smart card that will be scanned upon boarding the bus.
• Real-Time Arrival: Students and parents are encouraged to download the Token Transit app, which offers real-time arrival and departure information for all Mountain Line routes. Riders can see where buses are and get predicted bus arrival times at each stop in real time. 
• Trip Planning: Mountain Line knows that public transit may be new to many FUSD families, and the Mountain Line team stands ready to assist with trip planning to ensure students are comfortable with the routes and schedules. Because each family has unique trip planning needs, it is often best to do this in person. 
• Mountain Line and FUSD have scheduled dates for Mountain Line staff to be available to assist FUSD families with trip planning. FUSD families are welcome to call the Mountain Line office anytime to ask questions and do trip planning over the phone. Mountain Line can be reached at (928) 779-6624, and they are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 
• Travel Training: Mountain Line offers a travel training program where one of their staff members will take a transit trip with a student and their family and help them get comfortable with how to ride the bus, how to use their pass, how to read the schedules, and use the app, etc. Families can call (928) 779-6624 to arrange travel training. 

Learn more about Mountain Line routes, programs, and details at www.mountainline.az.gov. View a full Mountain Line transit system map here. 

Mountain Line is providing all FUSD families the opportunity to give them a try before the holiday break by providing them with a day pass to ride free and to ask questions before the spring semester. To request a day pass, call (928) 779-6624. 

Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you or your family. FUSD and Mountain Line are providing information sessions for families to learn more about Mountain Line transit services and ask questions. Families are encouraged to attend any sessions at the times and dates below that work best with their schedule.

Mountain Line Trip Planning and Assistance Sessions