The Road Safety Ink: October Edition
Welcome to the October Edition of The Road Safety Ink! From 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, this issue is a treat you won’t want to miss! Read on to stay in the know with the latest in transportation and safety innovations.
The Big Story
October 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.”
Highlighting Safer Communities:
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. 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.”
- City of Yonkers, Mayor Spano
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. The intent of this program is to alert drivers to the school zones, reduce speeds, and increase safety for our children.”
- Greensboro Police Department, Chief Rodricus Monford
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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.
Smart Mobility for the Future:
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.
We recently partnered with traffic safety experts across the country to share our thoughts on prioritizing children’s safety on school buses with School Transportation News.
“Parents should never have to worry about their children going to and from school, and I hope all drivers will pay attention more closely than ever before. Unfortunately, I have had a first-hand experience with a driver disregarding a red light at an intersection, and it has impacted my life every day ever since. I advocate that schools leverage the latest technology to hold drivers accountable and keep kids safe.”
-President of the National Coalition for Safer Roads (NCSR), Melissa Wandall