(WSVN) - School may be out for the summer, but for one Miami-Dade student, the time off is giving her time to take on the county as she fights to get a city bus stop moved. 7’s Jessica Holly is here with more details on her “Bus Battle.”
This city bus stop in front of Young Women’s Preparatory Academy in Miami is a busy one with more than 800 riders getting on and off every day.
But the stop is located in front of the school’s main entrance.
Idania Rodriguez is a student here and said the buses and the riders are so close that they cause problems.
Idania Rodriguez, wants bus stop moved: “You just see just them staring at you, waving. It’s really creepy.”
Some riders use the school’s entrance as a shelter. Others drop trash and worse with classrooms just steps away.
Idania Rodriguez: “It’s really disgusting, and I don’t think it’s safe to have trash and needles and a bunch of things lying around.”
Idania decided to act. As part of her Girl Scout Silver Award project, the 8th grader wrote a letter to the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works asking them to move the bus stop.
She then started a petition drive on Change.org.
Ivonne Fernandez, Idania’s mom: “How many people have signed already the petition?”
Idania Rodriguez: “Three-hundred-and-thirty-five.”
She’s hoping to get at least 500 signatures before the summer break is over.
Idania Rodriguez: “The signatures will help ’cause I have people by my side. I start taking pictures and I leave daily updates.”
7News reached out to Miami-Dade County to see what was happening with Idania’s request.
They wouldn’t speak on camera but told us they did move the bus stop last year after complaints from the school, but because disabled riders had problems getting on the bus at the new location, they moved it back in front of the school.
Idania Rodriguez: “It all just starts by one action.”
Idania is not phased by that setback. She said she’ll keep making flyers and keep the petition drive going until the county finds a solution.
Idania Rodriguez: “They told me that they would check up on my idea and they would start reviewing.”
Idania’s mom is proud of her efforts to make a difference.
Ivonne Fernandez: “When you see your kid cares for not only their family, themselves, but the community — that’s a big thing.”
The county said it will continue to monitor the situation in the coming months, but for now, the bus battle continues.
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