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 (HCPSS) Office of Student Transportation is responsible for creating all of the school district's walk zones.

It's who Alvarez sent her appeal to last year, in an attempt to get her kids back on a bus.

But the Office of Student Transportation, as well as the Student Walking Route Committee, denied Alvarez's 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.

An HCPSS spokesperson confirmed there are 40 students are riding each of the 11 buses serving Bellows Spring Elementary at this time. Also, on a day-to-day basis, there are typically 70-80% of the ridership on the bus.

When creating walk zones, the Office of Student Transportation measures from the resident property line to the property boundary of the school from the closest adjacent suitable pathway, according to the school district's website.

Since her appeal was denied, Alvarez hopes speaking out can get the attention of leaders from HCPSS, the county, or even state lawmakers to do something.

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

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

HCPSS couldn't provide bus loads for Bellows Spring Elementary School in past years.