JESSICA S. LAPPIN cue sup comerresox. O° im Your wr feat THE CouNcIL os ose wea ses oF saer1an08 « soup wor wannomene ‘THE CITY OF NEW YORK ee leppin@ecenclayenyes May 13, 2008 Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm Department of Education 52 Chambers Street New York, NY 10007 Dear Deputy Chancellor Grimm: I’m writing on behalf of several constituents who live on Roosevelt Island but whose children attend schools in Manhattan, such as the gifted and talented program at Lower Lab, These parents have expressed their growing concern to me about the difficulties they face in getting their children to and from school each day. These parents would like to see a school bus stop added on Roosevelt Island that could transport children to Manhattan each school day. sit stands now, transportation to and from the Island is largely limited to a single subway line and the Tram. However, subway service is growing increasingly overcrowded. Attempting the trip from Roosevelt Island to Lower Lab School would require trips on two separate, extremely crowded trains. While this may be a reasonable expectation of adults or even high school students, younger children cannot be expected to make that joumey on their own. Additionally, the Tram — the other public transit link fo the Island — will be out of commission for long stretches of time during the next school year, further complicating travel to and from school. A school bus stop on the Island would alleviate these transportation challenges and provide a safe, efficient option for students to get to school. I hope that your office will consider this possibility and create a workable bus route for the students on Roosevelt Island, ‘Thank you very much for your time and attention to this matter, You can contact Mr. John Moore in my District Office at (212) 535-5554 to follow up. Sincerely, JESSICA LAI Council Member 5" District ~ Manhattan