Your October Edition of The Road Safety Ink

Welcome to the October Edition of The Road Safety Ink! From Halloween delights to the latest developments in Verra Mobility, celebrating our remarkable five years as a public company, and shining a spotlight on safety programs that are revolutionizing road safety with cutting-edge technologies like school zone speed safety cameras, school bus stop-arm safety cameras, and more, this issue is a treat you won’t want to miss! Read on for a ghoulishly good time and stay in the know with the latest in transportation and safety innovations.

Happy Halloween from Verra Mobility

This Halloween don’t forget to slow down and think about our youngest pedestrians. Everyone wants to get home quickly, but we also want to do it safely.

  • Be alert for children who aren’t watching for cars – especially in neighborhoods.
  • Slow down – dark costumes are hard to see, especially when crossing the street.
  • Put the phone down – trick-or-treaters could dart out from bushes and cars at any time.
  • Be patient – we are all responsible for our little ghosts and goblins who may only be thinking about candy during this exciting time.

Being a patient and attentive driver today will provide for safer streets for everyone.

 

 

Celebrating 5 Years as a Public Company

VerraMobility.com, New York, October 18, 2023

This week marks a significant milestone in Verra Mobility’s history. Five years ago, Verra Mobility was listed on Nasdaq and became a publicly traded company.

Since that momentous event in October 2018, the company has grown into new markets, strengthened its portfolio and expanded geographically.

“This is a significant milestone in our incredible journey to become a leader in smart mobility solutions,” said David Roberts, president and CEO, Verra Mobility. “Our core values, shared purpose and the Verra Mobility operating system have all been instrumental in driving continued growth and profitability.”

 

New Safety Program 30-Day Warning Period Begins

Hudson Valley Press, New York, October 18, 2023

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced, starting October 12, school bus stop-arm safety cameras will capture images of vehicles that disregard the school bus stop-arm for the next 30 days as part of the Yonkers Safe Stop program. In the first 30 days, warnings will be issued, and no fines will be assessed. Beginning November 13, registered vehicle owners, whose vehicles are observed passing the school bus while the school bus stop-arm is extended and lights are flashing, will receive a Notice of Liability in the mail.

Yonkers is the only and largest district in Westchester County and the only district among New York’s Big 5 cities to fully implement a school bus stop-arm safety camera program.

“Our obligation is to protect our children at all times, including their transportation to and from school. These stop-arm safety cameras help us enforce the laws of passing a school bus and the warning period will give motorists plenty of time to practice stopping,” said Mayor Spano. “We strongly advise drivers to be alert and to always stop when the school bus stop-arm is extended. It is never okay to put our children in danger and pass a school bus.”

Greensboro Begins Warning Period for New School Zone Speed Safety Cameras

Greene.k.12.ga.us, Georgia, October 16, 2023

In a joint effort by the Greene County School System and Greensboro Police Department to improve campus safety by enforcing school zone speed limits, Greensboro will begin issuing warnings for the new school zone speed cameras on October 30. Warning notices will be issued for 30 days to the registered owner of any vehicle that is photographed passing through the school zone in excess of the posted speed limit while school is in session and one hour before classes are scheduled to begin and one hour after classes have concluded.

“The warning period gives drivers the opportunity to check their speed and comply with our school zone safety program before actual citations begin,” said Greensboro Police Department Chief Rodricus Monford. “The intent of this program is to alert drivers to the school zones, reduce speeds, and increase safety for our children.”

 

Several School Zone Safety Cameras to be Installed in Bothell

Fox13Seattle.com, Washington, September 5, 2023

The city of Bothell is planning to install several cameras to prevent speeding in school zones starting Wednesday.

According to a Tuesday press release, after reviewing complaints from the public, the city has noticed speeding in school zones has become a top growing concern in the local community. To ensure the city maintains its highest priority of keeping children and residents safe, school zone cameras will be placed in school zone areas beginning Sept. 6.

Learn more about Bothell’s School Zone Speed Safety Program here.

For more frequent updates, visit the Bothell Police Department page on Facebook.

 

STN Podcast: NY Illegal Passing Strategy

STNOnline.com, 

School districts across the country prioritize children and their safety.
Broome County, NY, is one example of our stop-arm safety camera program that has seen successful results in reducing the number of drivers who illegally pass a stopped school bus that is (un)loading children.

Thank you to Patrick Dewing, director of emergency services, for talking about their district’s decision to utilize school bus safety cameras on this month’s School Transportation Nation podcast.

 

Pennsylvania General Assembly Acts to Extend School Bus Stop-Arm Camera Program

FCFreePressPa.com, Pennsylvania, October 19, 2023

In a proactive move aimed at enhancing the safety of schoolchildren, the Pennsylvania General Assembly has taken significant steps to preserve the use of cameras installed on school bus stop-arms.

The House of Representatives made its decision, voting 178-25 in favor of Senate Bill 851, following unanimous support from the Senate earlier in the month. Initially, these cameras were introduced as part of a five-year pilot program to improve safety, an initiative endorsed by PennDOT officials.

 

Whittier Blvd. at Orme Ave. on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Damian Kevitt is executive director of Streets Are For Everyone. He led the support for speed cameras contained in the recently signed AB 645. A new temporary pedestrian stop hangs above the crosswalk in Boyle Heights. (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Drivers in 3 Southern California Cities Can Get Speeding Tickets From a Roadside Camera

Daily News, California, October 16, 2023

Drivers who speed on streets in three Southern California cities soon may find a ticket waiting for them in their mailbox generated by a roadside speed camera.

Over the weekend Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 645 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale), making speed cameras legal for the first time in the state. Under a six-city pilot program, the cities of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale can install cameras that generate fines starting at $50 for speeding 11 miles above the posted speed limit, $100 for 16 to 25 mph above, and $500 for going 100 mph or greater. San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland also are included in the pilot program.

In 2022, 843 people died and another 4,222 people were severely injured by “traffic violence” in Los Angeles County, according to TIMS. Since 2011, traffic fatalities in L.A. County rose 64%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Besides acting as a deterrent to slow down drivers, studies in other states found they (speed safety cameras) have reduced crashes and fatalities. The Federal Highway Administration found speed cameras reduced traffic collisions on urban streets by 54%.

 

Cars travel south on Parkside Drive passing by one of the city’s 75 automated speed cameras. City staff are asking for changes to rules which would allow for more of the cameras to be stationed across Toronto. Last March, city council asked staff to acquire 75 more of the cameras. (Doug Husby)

More speed bumps and cameras? Toronto looks to change rules slowing road safety equipment expansion

dailynews.com, Canada, October 25, 2023

The city wants to make it easier to expand use of traffic calming measures like speed bumps and install more automated speed enforcement cameras to help reduce road deaths on Toronto streets.

“The speed in which some of these collisions and impacts take place, it kills people,” he said. “So making sure that we have the tools and relying on the technology to deliver that enforcement. It’s a good use of resources, and it gets us the effective result of slowing down the traffic through our neighbourhoods.”

 

A set of flashing lights and a speed limit sign warns drivers that the area of North Nevada Street is a 20 mph school zone during certain hours of the day. A speed camera system hangs on a post a long block north of the school on North Nevada Street. Photographed Thursday, May 13, 2021. The camera enforcement system was placed there to slow cars when students are coming and going from Longfellow.

Spokane’s Speed Cameras Turn on Tuesday With the Start of School

Spokesman, Washington, September 4, 2023

Spokane’s eight photo-enforced speeding cameras, all of which are located near public schools, will turn back on Tuesday for the first day of the school year.

Local drivers are reminded not to speed in school zones and to yield to people crossing streets. Most vehicle-pedestrian collisions occur in crosswalks, marked or unmarked, according to a news release from the Spokane Police Department. All intersections are considered legal crosswalks, regardless of whether they are marked.

 

Caught on Camera: The Growing Wave of Stop-Arm Enforcement

STNOnline.com, National, October 1, 2023

We recently shared our thoughts on prioritizing children’s safety on school buses with School Transportation News.

Read our full thoughts here.