Edmonds school bus drivers ordered to heed speed

  • Eric Stevick<br>For the Enterprise
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 6:54am

LYNNWOOD — Slow down.

That’s the message the Edmonds School District has given its drivers after learning that some buses were routinely exceeding the speed limit in 20 mph school zones.

The incidents were documented by a hand-held radar gun in front of Lynnwood Elementary School over several weeks, said Debbie Jakala, a school district spokeswoman. The school is on the 18000 block of 44th Avenue W.

School buses were among many public and private vehicles recorded going over the 20 mph speed limit.

School leaders sent letters home to parents across the district last week, pledging to make sure the buses slow down.

“We are taking steps to identify specifically which buses so that we can take corrective actions as appropriate,” said Reg Clarke, the district’s transportation director.

Clarke said the news is a reminder for bus drivers and other motorists to keep the speed down in school zones.

Bus drivers have been instructed to go 20 mph through school zones “24 hours a day,” Clarke said.

Everyone should use common sense when driving near a school, Jakala said.

“If school is in session, you should be driving slower,” Jakala said.

Clarke said the district has requested videotapes or still shots from KIRO-TV in Seattle of instances when buses were driving above the speed limit and when drivers were using cell phones, which is not allowed when a bus is in operation.

Clarke said he won’t know exactly how fast the buses were going until he can review tapes.

In the letter, Clarke told parents they can report speeding in posted areas. He asked them to include the bus number, time and location.

Together, bus drivers in the Edmonds district cover about 1.5 million miles a year within a 33-square-mile area.

“We have a wonderful group of caring people doing this work, and we want to make sure everyone is driving in a safe and appropriate manner,” he said.

Eric Stevick is a writer for The Herald in Everett.

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