Lakeside has put together a targeted transportation program that will run when the campus reopens for blended learning, in partnership with First Student. We will also run a few routes using the school's own mini-busses. While we are not able to provide the broader coverage of the Metro program due to the pandemic, our goal is to provide custom bus routes to students who cannot get to campus without a bus option.

The First Student custom bus program is available to Lakeside School students only.

Parents/guardians of students who are registered for the bus routes received detailed information about schedules, stops, safety measures, billing, etc. on January 4, 2021. Route maps and bus schedules are also available via the links below. 

Key information regarding bus safety during COVID-19.

• The First Student school bus capacity is 72 passengers, seated. Ridership is reduced to 24-26 riders per bus, with one rider per bench. Siblings will sit on the same bench.
• The distance between students in window seats across the aisle is six feet. The seatbacks on buses are 25' tall, creating a barrier. Tape and stickers on seats will convey social distancing requirements. 
• Buses will be disinfected daily. 
• There will be one-way movement on the buses, with loading back to front and exiting front to back.  
• During the trip, bus windows and ventilation roof hatch will remain open, unless it is unsafe to do so due to driving rain or snow. 
• Drivers are trained to follow safety protocols, such as wearing a face covering while driving (unless it impairs vision) and while loading/unloading the bus, self-screening for COVID symptoms, and staying home if unwell.
• Drivers will be tested for COVID-19 weekly at Lakeside along with all faculty and staff.
• Students are expected to wear facemasks while riding the bus, maintain social distance while waiting, embarking, and disembarking, minimize touching surfaces on the bus, and wash/sanitize their hands after completing their ride.   
• Each student-rider will be given a face shield to keep. We ask that students wear the face shield for additional protection while riding the bus, however, the face shield must not replace the facemask. 
• More information is available here: Safe Start; Bus Seating. 

For questions related to the First Student custom bus program, please reach out to Ying Purcell at custombusprogram@lakesideschool.org. 

Thank you for your patience and flexibility. We appreciate you working with us through this unusual year!
 

Attachments/links: 

Map (Week A)

Map (Week B)

Bus Schedule (Week A)

Bus Schedule (Week B)

Evening Activity Bus Schedule

Lakeside School, University Prep, and The Evergreen School contract with King County Metro to provide specially designed routes that our students can use traveling to and from school. Due to COVID-19 the custom bus program is not available at this time. We are in constant contact with Metro as the situation develops, and hope to start running the buses as soon as safely possible.     

We appreciate your flexibility until Metro operations return to full service levels.

It’s easy to form a carpool with other Lakeside families. Current Lakeside families can sign in to the Veracross family portal, click on “Directory” (with the @ symbol) at the top of the page, choose the "Nearby Families" tab, and a list of families living near you will be shown. There are designated carpool spots in all student parking lots on the Upper School campus.

Lakeside has limited car parking available on campus. Restrictions are in place for the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19 safety measures. Please follow posted signs.

For major events, signs will direct attendees to available parking. Please note that cars parked on campus without proper identification or inappropriately parked on campus or neighboring streets may be towed.

Accessible parking: The visitor parking lot, between Allen-Gates Hall and 1st Avenue NE, has four stalls reserved for accessible parking; The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center parking lot has two spots reserved. Cars must have a valid accessible parking permit to park in these spaces.

Street Parking: There is limited street parking in the area around Lakeside. Please be considerate of our neighbors; Seattle’s municipal code states that there is no parking within five feet of a driveway, mailbox, or alley.

Employees: Lakeside faculty and staff who register vehicles are assigned a parking lot at the beginning of the year.

Parents and guardians: Parents and guardians may park in any available spot in the Middle School lot (enter off NE 135th Street). Parents and guardians visiting the Upper School (who do not have a permit) should park on the street. The Wright Center parking lot (across 4th Avenue NE from the Wright Community Center) and parking along 4th Avenue NE between NE 145th Street and the book depot are for faculty/staff and parents/guardians by permit only.

Students: Student parking on the Upper School campus is on a first-come, first-served basis. Students who register their vehicles may park in lots next to Stimson field and The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center; there is also a lot reserved for seniors. There are designated carpool spots in all student lots.

Visitors: Visitors to the Middle School should park in the visitors’ lot outside the main entrance on NE 137th Street. Upper School visitors should park in the south parking lot between Allen-Gates Hall and NE 1st Avenue. All visitors to campus will be asked to sign in and register their cars in the main office of either campus. Cars without a visitor parking permit will be towed.

Bike racks are available at the Middle School, between the gym and main building, and at the Upper School next to Pigott Memorial Library in Red Square and at the southeast corner of The Paul G. Allen Athletics Center parking lot.