Albemarle schools | Traffic camera grace period ends; fines begin next week

The grace period for Albemarle County school-safety traffic cameras expires on Friday, and beginning next week, enforcement will begin.

Last month, school zone speed cameras were activated at Western Albemarle High, Henley Middle and Brownsville Elementary schools. The cameras, on U.S. 250 in Crozet, measure the speed of each passing vehicle. A series of videos and photographs document the vehicles traveling at or above the speed limit.

Cameras were installed last year on the Lambs Lane campus including Albemarle High, Journey Middle and Greer Elementary schools. Because the cameras were not new, fines were enforced beginning on the first day of school.

The school campuses include speed-limit signs that show “photo enforced” alerting drivers that speed cameras may be in use.

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Additionally, cameras were installed on four school buses to capture vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses. Like speed violations, the cameras will capture both video and photographs to document vehicles traveling through the extended stop arm.

The goal of the cameras, according to the county, is to improve driver behavior and ensure a safer environment for students, families and staff as they travel to and from school.

To learn more about traffic-enforcement cameras, visit www.albemarle.org/police.

School safety fines

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Beginning on Monday, Sept. 15, drivers will receive fines ranging from $100 to $250, depending on the violation.

Citations will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle using the license plate for identification.

The citation will include violation photos and speed data, when applicable.

Speed cameras

• Citations will be issued to anyone traveling 10 mph or more over the posted school zone limit when flashing lights are activated.
• The tickets are $100 for each violation.
• Photo speed violations are civil fines that are not reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

School bus stop arm cameras

• Cameras installed on school buses automatically detect and record violations when a vehicle passes a bus with its stop arm extended and red lights flashing.
• Violations for passing a stopped school bus are $250 each.