Two city councilors want BPS to start installing cameras on school buses to help police track down and fine people who ignore stopped buses and any kids who might be getting off or on them.
Councilors Enrique Pepén (Hyde Park, Roslindale, Mattapan) and John FitzGerald (Dorchester) on Wednesday will ask for a formal hearing at which BPS and BPD officials can be asked "when?" now that the state has a law that lets local police use bus-mounted cameras to go after motorized miscreants. Their proposal includes a draft ordinance for installing and then using the cameras.
They say that Peabody cameras captured 850 drivers ignoring stopped school buses in just five week.
School bus stop enforcement should be regarded as a community concern not just to those utilizing the school bus. Drivers must be held accountable for unsafe behavior that could result in the fatality of school children.
The council is scheduled to consider the request to start the drafting of an ordinance at its regular Wednesday meeting in its fifth-floor chambers in City Hall, which starts at noon.
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I don't think that's how it works here
By lbb
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 10:23am
Every schoolbus I've seen in MA has a sequence: flashing yellow, followed by a full stop, followed by flashing red. Is it even possible for them to go immediately to red?
It doesn't matter what you've seen in MA
By proportionate
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 11:55am
This is a City of Boston proposal. And in the city of Boston, the buses have a single flashing stop sign that extends. And, that stop sign often extends suddenly.
I live between 2 grade schools and buses regularly idle while waiting for pickup. Once the kids (who are out of view, by the way) make their way to the bus, the stop sign extends. There is no possible way to know when that sign will extend, even if being cautious.
Hmm
By blues_lead
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 5:14pm
I wonder where the city of Boston is located?
A typical camera ticket
By anon
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 2:26pm
A typical camera ticket scenario is a minibus that's parked waiting for a kid to come out of the house, with yellow lights flashing the whole time. Even if each driver came to a full stop, which is neither reasonable nor required for safety, they would still get caught if the door opened just as they started to go. It would be analogous to a traffic light where the yellow stayed on for a long and indeterminate amount of time, rather than a few seconds fixed by formula.
Let me guess
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 02/05/2025 - 10:46pm
You are one of those drivers who think the first three through a red still have a yellow light, and honk if someone refuses to block the box or won't cross the railroad tracks until they can clear the crossing.
Nope, I'm one of those
By anon
Thu, 02/06/2025 - 2:55pm
Nope, I'm one of those drivers who stops for stopped school buses if at all possible, including in situations where nobody else is doing it. My concern is the corner case situations where it isn't possible, or even reasonable or desirable for children's safety.
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Mon, 02/03/2025 - 5:28pm
Magoo wonders why does the uhub website look different? Magoo.
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Mon, 02/03/2025 - 5:33pm
Ooooooh. Magoo read the earlier post and now understands why uhub looks different. Ooooooh. Magoo. ?
Damn
By Username Unknown
Mon, 02/03/2025 - 10:06pm
I was hoping the tired Magoo schtick would be retired with the old page.
Catching careening Massholes,
By anon
Mon, 02/03/2025 - 8:49pm
Catching careening Massholes, among other things
Only one thing here makes sense
By Boston_res
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 2:13pm
"Drivers must be held accountable for unsafe behavior that could result in the fatality of school children." See that? The "Drivers". Not the car owner. How exactly is a driver identified by a license plate? A license plate identifies the owner. That owner can be an individual, or an entity such as a LLC. When Drivers can be identified, and punished I'll say that anything like this is worthwhile. Until then, it's a bad idea.
Let the childish responses begin.
The camera will show a
By cinnamngrl
Tue, 02/04/2025 - 4:13pm
The camera will show a picture of the driver.
But you have a point. My brother's car is registered to my deceased father. His town has video enforcement but they send the bills in my father's name. They have never figured it out.
The bigger problem is obscured plates. Those covers are illegal, but it doesn't seem like much is done about it.
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