Howard County mother wants her children back on bus route to avoid busy intersection

It's been more than a year since Rebecca Alvarez's children were removed from their school bus route after their neighborhood's walk zone was expanded.

Since then, Alvarez and her neighbors have been trying to get their children back on the bus, largely because the walking route to Bellows Spring Elementary School includes a busy intersection they consider dangerous.

After an appeal of the new walk zone was denied, Alvarez believes speaking out may be her and her neighbors' last hope.

A busy intersection

Since being included in Bellows Spring Elementary School's walk zone for the 2025-26 school year, Alvarez has driven her children to school.

To do so, she had to rearrange her work schedule. She also drives some of her neighbors' children to school.

Alvarez considers herself fortunate, knowing not everyone in her Elkridge neighborhood has that option.

"We have multiple single mothers who live on the street who do not have anybody else to help them in the mornings," she said. "Our hours are not necessarily 9-to-5 like the schools are."

Alvarez and her neighbors are particularly concerned about the intersection of Meadowridge Road and Wesley Lane, which their children must cross on the way to school.

They say they've witnessed or heard about multiple close calls at the intersection.

"There's a blind curve on each side, people fly, they don't go the speed limit. They don't pay attention to the crosswalk, they don't pay attention to the kids," Alvarez said.

A failed appeal

The Howard County Public School System's Office of Student Transportation is responsible for creating the district's walk zones.

That's where Alvarez appealed the decision last year, asking to have her children placed back on a school bus.

The Office of Student Transportation and the Student Walking Route Committee both denied her appeal.

"[The Office of Student Transportation] further concluded that the walking route, as prescribed, provides an acceptable level of safety for elementary school-aged students as they walk to school," the denial letter reads.

According to HCPSS, walk zones are measured from the resident property line to the school's property boundary using the closest adjacent suitable pathway.

Since her appeal was denied, Alvarez hopes speaking out will get the attention of HCPSS leaders, county officials or even state lawmakers.

"I'm just trying to bring light to this and try to see what we can do to fix it," Alvarez said.

Alvarez also shared emails with WJZ between her and a Board of Education member, who claimed school buses have been running emptier since the walk zone was expanded.

WJZ reached out to HCPSS for school bus capacity numbers at Bellows Spring Elementary School and is waiting to hear back.