19-03-2025
Cleveland drivers could face $250 fine for passing school buses illegally
CLEVELAND (WJW) — To say Cleveland City Councilman Kevin Conwell is passionate about students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District would be an understatement.
In office since 2001, the Ward 9 councilman is now making bus safety one of his top priorities, after witnessing countless drivers ignore the flashing red stop signs when picking up and dripping off students.
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'Very, very frustrating to me as a father, as a grandfather,' he said. 'It's our job to protect children. When you see that as a legislator, my job is to write policy for people who work, live and travel through the city of Cleveland.'
His newly-drafted legislation would call for cameras to be installed on the stop signs that extend from the buses to catch violators in the act.
'I got tired of seeing when I'm driving in the neighborhood, people going around the buses when the stopped arms is extended outwards, they're going around. And guess what, you're putting our children at risk,' he said.
With support needed from the district, Conwell says many school board members are on board. He said once the council votes that will hopefully encourage the district to install the cameras, paid for, he said, by a fund, created by those who break the law.
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'We'll fine them to the tune of $250 and we'll send it to their houses and when they're fined, it will help to change their behavior,' he said. 'Also the fines will set up a fund to pay for the cameras.'
CMSD provides bussing for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade who live one mile away or further from school, roughly 15,000.
The councilman is hoping to have the cameras installed in time for the 2025-2026 school year.
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