Enforcement
Enforcement tools are aimed at ensuring compliance with traffic and parking laws in school zones. Enforcement activities help to reduce common poor driving behavior, such as speeding, failing to yield to pedestrians, turning illegally, parking illegally and other violations. Enforcement strategies, in conjunction with education efforts, are intended to clearly demonstrate what is expected of drivers of motor vehicles and to hold them accountable for the consequences of their actions. While most enforcement is the responsibility of police and other law enforcement, there are numerous complementary strategies that can be undertaken by school officials, crossing guards, parents and volunteers. The Ulster County Traffic Safety Board is an important resource for information and assistance.
School Safety Patrols and Crossing Guards
School safety patrols are trained student volunteers responsible for enforcing drop-off and pick-up procedures. Student safety patrols may also assist with street crossing; they do not stop vehicular traffic, but rather look for openings and then direct students to cross. According to the National Safe Routes Clearinghouse, “student safety patrols… [increase] safety for students and traffic flow efficiency for parents. Having a student safety patrol program at a school requires approval by the school and a committed teacher or parent volunteer to coordinate the student trainings and patrols.”
Crossing guards are trained adults, paid or volunteer, who are legally empowered to stop traffic to assist students with crossing the street. Current NYS law (General Municipal Law § 208-a) only allows for cities, towns, or villages to designate, authorize, and appoint crossing guards. The NYS law also grants crossing guards with the “…power to control vehicular traffic within such municipality.”
The National Center for Safe Routes to School offers this guide for Adult Crossing Guards
Crosswalk Sting
In a crosswalk sting operation, the local police department targets motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians in school crosswalk. A plain-clothes “decoy” police officer ventures into a crosswalk or crossing guard-monitored location, and motorists who do not yield are given a citation by a second officer stationed nearby. The police department or school district may alert the media to crosswalk stings to increase public awareness of the issue of crosswalk safety, and news cameras may accompany the police officers to report on the sting.
School Parking Lot “Citations”
If on-site parking problems exist at a school, such as parents leaving vehicles unattended in loading zones, school staff may issue parking lot “citations” to educate parents about appropriate parking locations. These “citations” are actually warnings designed to look like actual police tickets, intended to educate parents about how parking in improper zones can create safety hazards or disrupt traffic flow for other parents during the pick-up/drop-off period.
Other informal enforcement programs include posting “cell free zone” signs in the school parking lot during drop-off and pick-up, and sending drop-off and pick-up procedures home with students at the beginning of the year and after returning from school vacations.
Neighborhood Speed Watch
In areas where speeding problems have been identified by residents, a Neighborhood Speed Watch can be used to warn motorists that they are exceeding the speed limit. A radar unit is loaned out to a designated neighborhood representative to record speed information about vehicles. The person operating the radar unit must record information, such as make, model and license number of offending vehicles. This information is sent to the local law enforcement agency, which then sends a letter to the registered vehicle owner, informing them that the vehicle was seen on a specific street exceeding the legal speed limit. Letters are typically sent out to those driving at least 5 mph over the speed limit. Although not a formal citation, the letter explains that local residents are concerned about safety for their families and encourages the motorist to drive within the speed limit.
Yard signs can also be incorporated into the speed watch program. Participating neighbors post signs stating that children live in the neighborhood and it is necessary to slow down for their safety.
Radar Trailer
Speed Radar Trailers can be used to reduce speeds and enforce speed limit violations in known speeding problem areas. In areas with speeding problems, police set up an unmanned trailer that displays the speed of approaching motorists along with a speed limit sign.
Speed radar trailers can be used as both an educational and enforcement tool. By itself, the unmanned trailer serves as effective education to motorists about their current speed compared to the speed limit. As an alternative enforcement measure, the police department may choose to station an officer near the trailer to issue citations to motorists exceeding the speed limit. Because they can be easily moved, radar trailers are often deployed on streets where local residents have complained about speeding problems. If frequently left in the same location without officer presence, motorists may learn that speeding in that location will not result in a citation and the strategy can lose its benefits. For that reason, radar trailers should be moved frequently. Ulster County owns two radar trailers that can be loaned for local use and a number of local municipalities throughout the county have trailers for use as well. The cost ranges from $10,000 to 15,000.
Speed Feedback Sign
A permanent speed radar sign can be used to display approaching vehicle speeds and speed limits on roadways approaching the school site. The unit is a fixed speed limit sign with built-in radar display unit that operates similar to a radar trailer. In order to maximize effectiveness for school settings, the radar display unit should be set to only activate during school commute hours.
Roadways approaching the school site are the most appropriate location to display speeds, instead of streets along the school frontage that will likely have lower speeds due to pick-up/drop-off traffic. Speed feedback signs have been proven to be effective, especially in situations where speeds typical exceed the speed limit by 10 mph or more. The cost ranges from $3,500 to 6,000.
Enforcement for Cyclists
It is important to reinforce the rules of the road for cyclists as well. Training for the local police department on the laws as they pertain to cyclists will assist police in being more aware and being able to provide adequate enforcement of regularly occurring issues, such as riding the wrong way or not stopping and waiting at red lights.