JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Drivers caught illegally passing stopped Duval County school buses will now face a $225 fine as the district’s stop-arm camera program moves out of its warning period.
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Duval County Public Schools has installed stop-arm cameras on about 900 buses as part of a partnership with BusPatrol America. The cameras record video and capture license-plate information when a vehicle passes a school bus while the stop arm is extended and the red lights are flashing. Citations are mailed to violators.
Along the 3800 block of Blanding Boulevard — identified by Duval County school police as last month’s top hotspot — officers warned nearly two dozen drivers in April, telling them future violations would result in a $225 fine.
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“There’s a lot of people that run past them and that shouldn’t,” said Brittany Toms, a Duval County parent with children who ride the bus. “It’s not safe for them or for people running past.”
Duval County resident Brad Butler said he frequently sees drivers fail to stop for school buses.
“I see it all the time,” Butler said. “I think that’s a really good idea.”
School police also identified other April hotspots for stop-arm violations:
- 1800 block of Edgewood Avenue
- 600 block of West Beaver Street
- 1100 block of 103rd Street
- 1700 block of Edgewood Avenue
- 2600 block of Lane Avenue South
Toms said she hopes the fines will change behavior.
“People don’t want to get a ticket,” she said. “For the most part, I think they won’t.”
The district said the program will not cost taxpayers and is funded through a revenue-sharing model supported by citation fees. BusPatrol America was approved to operate the program for three years.