Beginning January 5, 2026, Student Transportation Services of York Region, will pilot the use of service areas for school vehicle (bus and taxi service) cancellation on inclement weather days.
This means that school vehicle transportation may be cancelled region-wide or in one of the two designated service areas:
| Service Area | Boundary | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| Georgina Service Area | North of and including Ravenshoe Road | Georgina |
| South Service Area | South of Ravenshoe Road | East Gwillimbury, Stouffville, Markham, Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, King, Vaughan |
How Service Areas will work
If a Service Area is canceled:
- all bus and taxi routes serving schools in that service area will not operate
- all bus stops in that service area will not be served - even if a student attends a school in the other service area.
For the purpose of potential school vehicle cancellations, for students with a bus stop in an area that is different from their school area (e.g. a student who lives in Georgina but attends school in Newmarket), it is important for families to know:
- the service area of their school
- the service area of their bus stop.
Scenarios
| Category | Bus Stop Location | School Location | What Will Happen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgina Service Area | Georgina (north of and including Ravenshoe Road) | Georgina | If the Georgina Service Area transportation is cancelled, the bus route will not operate. If only the South Service Area transportation is cancelled, the bus route in Georgina will operate normally. |
| South Service Area | East Gwillimbury, Stouffville, Markham, Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, King | East Gwillimbury, Stouffville, Markham, Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, King | If the South Service Area is cancelled, the bus route will not operate. If only the Georgina Service Area is cancelled, the bus route will operate normally |
| School located in Georgina - Bus Stop is located in South Service Area | Some or all stops scheduled on the bus or taxi run in East Gwillimbury, Stouffville, Markham, Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, King | Georgina | If only the Georgina Service Area transportation is cancelled, the bus route will not operate. If only the South Service Area is cancelled, bus stops located in the South Service Area will not operate. Bus stops located in Georgina will operate. |
| School located in South Service Area - Bus stops in Georgina | Some or all stops scheduled on the bus or taxi run in Georgina | East Gwillimbury, Stouffville, Markham, Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, King | If only the South Service Area transportation is cancelled, the bus route will not operate. If only the Georgina Service Area transportation is cancelled, stops located in the Georgina will not be serviced. The stops located in the South Service Area will operate. |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is the board piloting this change and creating two zones?
- York Region District School Board serves a large region, parts of which are often affected differently by weather patterns. The Georgina area is often affected by lake-effect snow bands.
2. What happens if I live in Georgina but my child receives transportation to a school south of Ravenshoe?
- If only the Georgina Service Area is cancelled, stops located in the Georgina service area will not be serviced, even if students attend schools in the South Service Area. The stops located in the South Service Area will operate.
3. What happens if I live south of Ravenshoe Road but my child receives transportation to a school in Georgina?
- If only the Georgina Service Area is cancelled, bus routes travelling to Georgina schools will not be serviced, even if students live in the South Service Area.
4. If this is a pilot, when will it be decided if it will continue?
- We will continue to review the operational efficiency of school transportation cancellation. At the conclusion of this pilot program we will provide an update families.