Falls Church City Public Schools Introduces School Bus Stop Arm Program During National School Bus Safety Week – October 21-25
Falls Church, VA – Beginning next week, just in time for National School Bus Safety Week, October 21-25, school bus stop arm cameras will be activated to monitor motorists who illegally pass stopped school buses on some of Falls Church City roads.
Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS) and the Falls Church Police Department is partnering with American Traffic Solutions (ATS), the leading photo enforcement provider in North America, by deploying CrossingGuard®, ATS’ newest solution to help school districts address the growing problem of illegal passing of school buses. This partnership allows The City of Falls Church to be the first community in Virginia to approve the use of exterior school bus cameras.
As the current red light enforcement provider for the City of Falls Church, ATS was selected by a committee representing FCCPS, City Government and the FCPD based on their outstanding references from school districts and municipalities of all sizes. ATS has successfully piloted stop arm enforcement programs in Maryland, Georgia, Florida, and Texas.
“Our main goal is to keep our students safe,” said Dr. Toni Jones, Superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools. “These cameras are the safety solution we need to reduce the number of these types of violations to protect our students.”
The program is administered and maintained by ATS with no upfront cost to the district. Once implemented, the program will be 100 percent stop arm violator funded. In Virginia, a violation is considered a civil penalty that will warrant the vehicle’s owner a $250 fine.
Approximately 12 buses transport 2,000 students to and from school each week. "Our goal is to educate drivers and stop the illegal passing of school buses," said Mary Gavin, Chief of Police for the City of Falls Church. "Our number one priority is to protect our citizens. We are proud to have this additional tool to help keep our children safe."
For more information about the FCCPS school bus stop arm program, watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjqmpMzmMFU to learn more about their campaign and the importance of educating drivers to ensure the safety of our children.
About American Traffic Solutions:
ATSis proud to be the market leader in road safety camera installations in North America. ATShas more than 3,200 installed school bus stop arm, red-light and speed safety cameras serving more than 30 million people. ATSis the largest road safety camera program service provider in North America with awards or contracts with nearly 300 local jurisdictions in 21 states and the District of Columbia. For more information, please visit: www.atsol.com or www.atscrossingguard.com.
ATS Contact: Charles Territo
Phone: (480) 443-7000
Email: media@atsol.com
Falls Church Schools Contact: John Wesley Brett
Phone: 703-248-5680
Email: jwbrett@fccps.org
City of Falls Church: Amy Betor
Phone: 571-221-6103
Email: ABetor@fallschurchva.gov
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