In our area they won't let the little kids off of the bus unless there is someone there to get them. I wouldn't think of letting my kids walk to the bus stop alone, and Nicholas is 9. Maybe it's just what I've seen, so I'm over-cautious, but oh well, they have to deal with it.
We live in such a small town, that this being a danger never occurred to me. I let my kids walk out the door to the bus stop every morning. Of course, the bus stop is half a block away, and I can see it from my bathroom window. It also helps that one of my best friends is the house in front of the bus stop and I know she's watching.