by Thomas Breen The New Haven independent
Watch out!
Starting Friday, drivers who blow by a school bus when its red lights are flashing and its stop-arm is out will receive a warning notice from the city.
Starting March 2, they’ll receive a $250 fine.
Mayor Justin Elicker, city transportation director Sandeep Aysola, New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) Madeline Negrón, and other top city and school officials made that announcement Thursday morning at a press conference at Ross Woodward School.
Elicker said that Friday, Jan. 30, marks the start of the 30-day “warning period” for a school bus safety automated-enforcement program first pitched by the Elicker administration last May, and approved by the Board of Alders in August.
The warning period ends, and $250-per-violation fines will start going out to offending drivers on Monday, March 2.
Elicker said that over 17,000 NHPS students are transported to school each day by 330 different buses.
Roughly 40 percent of those buses so far have been outfitted with automated monitors and cameras to detect when a car illegally drives by a stopped school bus. Elicker said that, by the end of the 30-day warning period, all of the city’s buses will be equipped with such technology.
New Haven’s school bus camera program will be operated by the contractor Bus Patrol in partnership with the city and with the school bus company First Student. Bus Patrol Executive Vice President Ryan Monell said that his company will collect and distribute relevant evidence of a violation — including video, still imagery, and vehicle registration information — to the city. “It’s always going to be the decision of the City of New Haven” to decide whether or not to issue a $250 ticket, he said, which can be appealed or contested through a hearing process.
“We don’t want to fine people, but we will,” Elicker said, if drivers endanger kids by illegally driving past parked school buses.
“School bus driving is a difficult job,” added First Student’s Michael McDaniel. This camera program represents “one more layer of protection to make sure that children are getting on the bus safely,” getting off the bus safely, and crossing the street in front of a parked bus. First Student “can’t wait for [this program] to start.”
Elicker said the 30-day warning period provides drivers with “a fair chance” to understand that the law has changed and that the new camera-fine program has begun.
He added that initial data provided by the 40 percent of buses already equipped with cameras is “concerning,” given how many people currently drive past stopped buses.
Elicker said there is no upfront cost to the city for this program, as the initial tech-installation and administrative costs are covered by Bus Patrol. The city then pays a subscription fee that should be covered by the tickets, as well as a fee per ticket. Elicker estimates collecting a total of $400,000 in revenue this fiscal year from this program, and anticipates that number going down significantly “so we get to the goal of compliance.”
The new school bus camera program comes as the city is also moving forward with plans to install 15 red-light and speed cameras across the city.