SPECIAL REPORT
the technology by 2013, creating an opportunity for installation on 200,000 buses. He estimated that 30 percent of the market will adopt the technology this year. “By year 10, we expect most, if not
all states, will allow for this applica- tion of camera technology. By then, we expect stop-arm camera systems will become an original equipment manufacturer item that can be select- ed by a district when they purchase new buses for their fleet,” he added. American Traffic Solutions and Redflex have several decades of expertise in red-light and speed cam- eras. ATS, which issues more than 4 million citations annually, piloted its Crossing Guard program last spring and began issuing violations in August 2012. Redflex, which launched its stop-
arm technology division in 2008, now has five years of field data. “Te most typical decrease year-
over-year, after our equipment is running for two or more years, is 20 to 30 percent. Te decrease ranges from a modest 10 percent on some routes up to 60 percent in other routes. It’s important to note that as the industry grows, more states adopt legislation and more systems are installed on buses across the country, the deterrent will grow,” O’Connor said. “We expect to see larger and more consistent decreases over time.” Territo added that roughly 95
percent of motorists who receive a violation never get another one. “Tat’s the type of results we expect to see from our program,” he said. O’Connor and Territo both tout the value of the hands-on assistance their firms offer throughout the pro- cess, including comprehensive public awareness campaigns as a prelude to launching stop-arm technology. Territo emphasized the importance
of working with local law enforce- ment and the judiciary. “It’s a triangle of safety – the school
district, law enforcement and the courts. We bring the courts and law enforcement in at the start because without them there is no enforce- ment,” he said. Te Dallas County district has cre- ated its own five-person police force to review violations.
Grisham said Cobb County’s 975 buses make 44,000 stops twice a day. ATS installed cameras on 102 buses during the fall and expected to add another 98 buses over the winter break. Despite the district’s year-long public awareness effort, its cameras still captured 142 violations on the program’s first day. It didn’t take long, though, for the message to sink in. “My take is that’s made a difference,
along with people seeing the cameras on the side of buses. Word of mouth is big. People get one ticket and they tell all their neighbors. People aren’t taking the chance anymore because they know they’re going to get caught.” Grisham leaves camera-equipped
buses on specific routes for four weeks at a time. “If there’s no activity, we’ll move them to a route where there is trou- ble,” he said. As part of the five-year agreement,
ATS receives 75 percent of revenue to pay for new equipment, monitor- ing and operating costs. Te district splits 25 percent with Cobb County government. It then devotes its share to educational programs. ATS sends video to local authorities who issue citations. Violators are able to see their violation and location informa- tion on a website. “ATS says there is a high success
rate of people paying the ticket right away,” Grisham said. For districts considering stop-arm
technology, O’Connor emphasized that it is “the only safety solution that can be implemented without any out-of-pocket expense for dis- tricts that have many priorities with limited budgets. “If you can install camera tech- nology that will increase safety over time by creating a deterrent through fines paid by the very motorists putting our children in harm’s way, it is a ‘must act’ for every school board, superintendent or law enforcement department,” he concluded. “Tis violation ignores state boundaries, population density and socioeco- nomic conditions. Any child can be injured or killed at any time. Why risk being the district that
delays implementation and then an injury or, worse, a death occurs?” l
32 School Transportation News January 2013
£ Top: Motorists comply with the law by coming to a complete stop behind a school bus in Palm Beach, Fla.
Center: Motorists who ignore stopped school buses, or aren't aware of the law, can be held accountable by camera systems that capture the license plate for future prosecution.
Bottom: Rick Grisham, director of transportation for Cobb County Schools near Atlanta, describes how a video-enforcement program works during the NASDPTS Annual Conference last fall in Memphis, Tenn. He said the success of local programs rely on collaboration between school districts and police, and he recommended public service announcements to get the word out.
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