Old Greenwich Residents Fume Over the Temporary School Bus Lot that Won't Move

The residents at the Old Greenwich Gables luxury condominium complex are fed up with the noise and fumes of the yellow school buses parked nearby. The complex abuts the Old Greenwich Train Station parking lot on the New York-bound side, where about 24 buses have been parked on what was supposed to be a temporary basis.

The Complaints: Kevin Conway, president of the residents association at the Gables, described some of the complaints in a memo to tenants dated Sept. 30, 2025. They included diesel fumes from idling buses, the beeping of buses backing up and "loud drivers" socializing in the early morning. Conway wrote that town officials spoke to drivers and instructed them to back into parking spaces in the afternoon to limit the beeping sounds. However, residents have filed more complaints this month, alleging that because of freezing temperatures, drivers are idling engines for significantly longer periods (up to 20-30 minutes) to defrost windshields, further exacerbating the fumes.

The Root of the Conflict: At the end of the school year, the town switched its bus contract to a company called DATTCO. Unlike the previous provider, DATTCO did not have a local depot. This left the school district scrambling to find temporary parking for nearly 90 full-sized yellow buses in temporary spots across town to be ready for the 2025-26 school year. In addition to the Old Greenwich Train location, about 30 buses are now parked at Western Middle School and another 30 are at St. Paul Roman Catholic Church located at 84 Sherwood Avenue (near the corner of King Street).

Between the Lines: While the town saved millions on the new contract, Gables residents feel like they’re the ones being thrown under the bus to balance the budget. Nothing is more permanent than a temporary school bus parking lot.

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