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Summer Day Camp Busing Information

 

Approximately 500 campers ride the bus to and from camp each day all summer! A lot goes into managing the bus process each day, and with the help of our camp families we hope to keep it running smoothly! 

YMCA Camp Sloper offers busing to Southington, Cheshire, and a few stops in Berlin at no extra cost. Bus stops have been predetermined for the summer based on decades of research and data and are updated each summer as trends and the needs of our families change.

We contract out 10 buses to transport campers to and from these designated stops (scroll down to see all bus stops) for three towns. Our goal is to have bus rides be no longer than 45 mins. We label our buses as follows: Cheshire 1 (CH1), Cheshire 2 (CH2), Cheshire 3 (CH3), Cheshire 4 (CH4), Cheshire 5 (CH5), Cheshire 6 (CH6), Southington A (Bus A), Southington B (Bus B), Southington C (Bus C), Berlin-Kensington (BK).

Each camper must register for a bus in order to ride the bus to or from camp. Registration for the bus happens the same time you register your camper for their camp option on our website. As there is a maximum capacity for each bus, registration for the buses may fill and go to a waitlist. If you are registered for camp, but waitlisted for a bus, we will reach out to you and go over all of the options to get your campers to camp. See also "What happens if my camper is registered for a session, but waitlisted for the bus?" in the FAQ's below for more information. 

We use New Britain Transportation (NBT) for all of our camp busing. The NBT office is located at 33 Norton St. Plantsville, CT. If you need to contact NBT directly for any bus related issues, such as concerns with the driver or late AM buses, call 860-628-5515. 

For all other bus related questions or concerns, please contact the camp office at 860-621-8194

 

2024 Summer Bus Routes

Preview/Finale Buses
S1-4 Buses p1
S1-4 buses p2
What towns are included in the bus routes?

Bus Transportation is provided to and from camp for grades K and up with stops in Southington, Cheshire, and Berlin. 

How much does it cost to add a bus stop?

There is no additional charge for busing, however space is limited. Predetermined routes and stops have been designated, door-to-door service is not provided. 

Do I have to register for the bus?

Yes, you have to indicate the stop of our choice during registration. Due to limited space, a bus stop can not be added once a session begins, you camper can not get off or on at a different stop under any circumstances. Attendance is taken at each stop both AM and PM. 

If no bus stop is chosen during registration, your camper will be designated as "Personal Transport" for the session. Changes to your transportation option can be made before the start of each session. 

Who can ride the bus?

Any camper from Sloperian to CIT. Wanderer's can not ride the bus. 

What happens if my camper is registered for a session, but waitlisted for the bus?

Unfortunately, for the safety of all of the riders, there is a capacity for how many campers can ride the buses. Spots on the bus are first-come, first-served. However, if you happen to find your camper is waitlisted for a spot on the bus, we will reach out to you to go over options to get your camper to camp. You will be encouraged to personally transport your camper if at all possible, for as long as you are waitlisted for the bus. If that is not possible, we will discuss alternate stops that may accommodate your camper for the session. 

If there is a trend of a relatively large waitlist for specific bus, we will partner with NBT to re-route a stop to accommodate the demand. Re-routing bus stops will only happen when there is a great need, and not for an individual accommodation. The need to re-route the buses will be reviewed session by session, and determined by camp leadership staff. 

Is there a monitor on the bus?

A Camp Sloper Counselor rides every bus acting as a bus monitor both AM and PM.  The monitor assists the driver in supervising campers, and takes daily attendance.  Buses do not leave camp in the afternoon until each camper is accounted for.  For this reason, please help us avoid afternoon delays by informing the camp office no later than 1:00pm if your camper will be getting picked up instead of riding the bus. 

What do I do if I want to pick up my child from camp instead of having them take the bus home?

You can pick your camper up, or drive them in anytime.  If you are picking your camper up instead of having them take the bus home, you must let the camp office know by 1:00PM.  

Attendance is taken on each bus each day, and no bus leaves camp until every child is accounted for.  By letting us know as early as possible if there is going to be any changes to their afternoon transportation, you are helping us avoid any unnecessary delays in getting the buses on their way.