3.4 School District Garages   

The Transportation Division has three bus garages in strategic locations throughout the city. There are approximately 500 bus drivers and 500 buses that are divided among the garage locations. Supervisors, dispatchers and bus attendants also work in or are assigned to these sites. Approximately 20,000 public school students are transported to and from school daily via approximately 500 in-house bus routes, and approximately 3,000 off-peak trips are operated each year. The School District Intra-District Mail System (PONY) is dispatched from Passyunk Garage, serving over 300 School District locations.   

 

I.   Garages

A. Broad Street Garage, 2600 N. Broad Street    

        Supervisor: Norman Hamilton

B. Shallcross Garage, Woodhaven & Byberry Rds.  

        Supervisor:  I. Garland Sigler

C. Passyunk Garage, 6421 W. Passyunk Avenue     

        Supervisor: Rick Mays

 

1. Intra-District (PONY) Mail Service

            a. Delivery of non-U.S. mail

       

PONY /Intra System Mail

The purpose of the intra-system mail operation (PONY) is to provide next day service for intra-system mail (pick-up and delivery).

I.  Location

A. The control center of the PONY operation is located at the Passyunk Garage, 6421 W. Passyunk Avenue.

B. There are 5 PONY truck routes operating daily and providing pick-up and delivery service of video-cassette tapes, small packages and non-U.S. mail to approximately 300 locations.

II. Guidelines

A. The schedule is designed to allow the driver sufficient time to pick-up or deliver material that can be carried in or out of the school or administrative facility on one trip. The quantity of material should not exceed the space allocated on the truck for each pick-up location. The pick-up of any bulky material or items in excessive quantity must be arranged through Materials Management with their General Delivery service.

B. The PONY system cannot service all School District locations because of scheduling limitations. Pick-up and delivery service for satellite locations and annexes is provided at primary functioning locations.

C. The delivery and pick-up of official School District correspondence from one established pick-up/drop-off point to another can be facilitated and, in most cases, accomplished in one day when the guidelines listed below are adhered to:

1. Envelopes used should be re-usable standard manila inter-office.

2. Envelopes should be unsealed unless the contents are classified Personal or Confidential. All inter-office mail is subject to random   inspection by mail sorters who check for unauthorized material. Only School District of Philadelphia intra-system correspondence is acceptable for transport by PONY.

3. All envelopes, containers and small packages must be properly addressed and clearly marked with the name of the addressee, department and address location. (This information should be checked against the most recent Directory on the District’s web page).

4. One designated pick-up location in the school or administrative site should be   provided to allow the driver easy access to materials identified for PONY pick-ups. Buildings containing more than one office or program must have their intra-office mail brought to the designated location.

5. Any mail containing checks or other items of value authorized for delivery through PONY must be signed for by an authorized person (principal/ administrator or designee) in the school or office.

6. SEPTA TRANSPASSES WILL NOT BE DELIVERED BY PONY.

   

III. Pick-up and Delivery of Video-Cassette Tapes and Audio-Visual Material

Video-Cassette tapes that do not conform to any standard adopted by the Division may cause delays for the driver. In order to keep such delay to a minimum, the following should be adhered to:

A. Video Cassette tapes must be secured together in small quantities. Any large quantity of video-cassettes going to a school would necessitate assistance being rendered to the driver to insure that the schedule can be maintained.

B. Schools ordering video-cassettes should only order the quantity needed for a given week. Prompt return of the cassettes insures that large quantities of videos will not build up at any school. This also prevents emergency phone calls from schools requesting pick-up of excessive quantities of cassettes.

 

IV. Problems/Complaints

A. The majority of complaints received about PONY stem from the following:

1. Improperly addressed envelopes and packages. 

2. Illegible addressee or location.

3. Intra-system mail in the incorrect container at time of pick-up (i.e. in an employee's OUT basket instead of the PONY basket).

4. Items improperly earmarked for PONY that should go by another mode or not at all:

a. bulk delivery

b. U.S. mail

 c.unauthorized mailings (e.g. advertisements, solicitations, greeting cards, campaign literature, personal items, money or checks relating to non-District business, sealed envelopes, use of other than re-usable inter-office envelopes).

B. Complaints concerning missed mail, late pick-ups, or interruptions in service   should be forwarded to the Garage Supervisor at Broad Street Garage, 2600 North Broad Street (227-4430). Those of a serious nature should be documented in a letter or memorandum and sent to the General Manager, Transportation Services, 440 N. Broad St. 3^rd Floor.

 

V.   Requests

A. All requests for additional service should be forwarded, in writing, to the Administrator of Transportation Services, 440 N. Broad St. 3^rd Floor.

B. Approval of any request for additional service will be based on the need and the ability to expand the existing service to a primary or satellite location. Increasing the length of a route may decrease operating efficiency and adversely affect each existing stop.      

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