By Tim Clifford

Starting in June those who ignore school buses with their stop signs out will face a hefty $394 ticket thanks to newly installed cameras on buses throughout Highline.

Similar to speed limit cameras that monitor school zones or red lights these “paddle cameras” are designed to snap a picture once a vehicle passes the bus while its stop sign is out. Currently five buses throughout Highline are equipped the cameras with more buses expected to follow soon. For the time being enforcement officials willonly send out warning notices to those caught through May while actual fines will go in to effect in June.

“Until June drivers will get a warning rather than a citation because we’re not out to make life hard for people. We want them to know that we have this capability and we want it to be a deterrent,” explained Catherine Carbone Rogers of the Highline School District.

Over two years in the making the program has long been championed by King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. A press conference was held at North Hill Elementary on April 13 with Upthegrove, Highline Chief Operating Officer Scott Logan, and bus driver Loren Young announcing the program and unveiling the buses.

“Every year, children getting on or off school buses are killed by careless and irresponsible drivers who ignore school bus stop signs. That's why when I was in the legislature I supported the bill to allow enforcementcameras on school buses and it is why I sponsored legislation at the King County Council to establish this program.

We need to stop these drivers who are putting our kids at risk,” said Upthegrove during the event.

According to Rogers three violations were caught by one of the new paddle cameras on the morning route, just hours before the press announcement at North Hill.

“A typical bus run will get about three to five violations,” she explained.

At the moment the Highline School district is the first in King County to implement the paddle cameras, but more districts are expected to follow.

One challenge for getting the program off the ground was ensuring cooperation between different cities and districts as far as ticket enforcement was concerned. The Highline buses cross through the jurisdictions of five different law enforcement agencies on their routes. Arrangements between the jurisdictions have now been put inplace for the program to start.

Though driving past a school bus with its stop paddle out has always been a serious traffic offense, ways of enforcing these laws have not been readily available. When asked what would happen to drivers in the past who ignored the stop signs the answer was simply “nothing”.

“Nothing, because the bus driver is rarely able to get the license plate because they are more focused on the kids, not the license plates. So this allows law enforcement to enforce that law. Before it was pretty un-enforceable unless you had a patrol car trailing the bus,” said Rogers.