A school bus with warning lights stops on a residential street and all the drivers on the roadway know to stop.
A school bus with warning lights stops on the southbound side of 16th Street, and the southbound traffic behind stops. But there’s a 50-50 chance the northbound traffic three or four lanes over will continue traveling. Those drivers are breaking the law, according to Orange Police Captain Keith Longlois.
“It’s confusing on the opposite side,” he said.
Longlois, a longtime patrol captain, said he’s concerned about drivers not stopping on 16th Street for buses. State law requires all drivers on a street with a left turning lane to stop for school buses stopped for students.
School bus drivers on 16th Street drop their students next to the street side. That leads some drivers in the opposite traffic lanes to continue traveling, assuming the children are not going to cross the busy street.
“You say they’re not, but maybe a kid wants to get off early, sneaks off and runs across the street,” he said.
The law for stopping for school buses in streets with turning lanes applies to 16th Street, which is also State Highway 87. The highway goes all the way north past Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School and the law applies there, too. (When the highway narrows to two lanes, drivers obviously know to stop for school buses in both lanes.)
Longlois said police will write warning citations for drivers not following the law so they can be aware of the law. Drivers who get a ticket will face a fine of $500 to $1,250, he said.
He has noticed the 16th Street bus traffic from West Orange-Cove is usually from 6:15 to 6:30 in the morning, and 3 to 3:15 in the afternoon. The speed limit south of the interstate on 16th Street is 40 mph, a speed where a driver would have a hard time stopping if a child darted out in traffic.
The both sides of traffic stopping for a school bus also applies to thoroughfares like MacArthur Drive and Texas Avenue in Bridge City.
However, if a street has a barrier or a median, a driver on the opposite side of a stopped school bus does not have to stop. Longlois said Moreell Avenue in Navy Park has a grassy median and the opposite traffic would not be required to stop for a school bus.
The complete school bus roadway rules are in the Texas Transportation Code 545.066 and can be found online.
Well that is good to know, really thought a 4 lane road with a inside turning lane, that opposite side traffic did not have to stop. Do see some rear fender benders insight tho
Good article. I do believe however, that school buses should not stop on these streets. Instead, they should turn on a side street and let the children off in a safer environment. I can think of nothing worse than hitting a child in any circumstance. With all the changes that have taken place in the last fifty years, few laws have changed to address the new situations which we now are placed in. On Hwy 87S by the DPS Office where the new addition is, the bus stops on HWY 87 to load and unload. This creates an unsafe condition where vehicles traveling at 65 mph must stop in both directions. If the bus were to pull into the subdivision to load and unload, it would be safer for everyone. {Just one example}
I agree 100% with robert’s remarks…we live near the corner of 37th & Martin Street…37th street is a very busy street and the bus lets out students at a vacated store/laundromat. After the bus leaves the children must cross the street (if they haven’t already) and walk down Martin Street toward Strickland Drive…the crux of the issue? After dropping off the students at the corner, the bus turns down Martin Street…rain or shine and this is just rediculously unsafe–there are more than just one or two of these students have to walk all the way down Martin to the other end near Strickland…Martin is one of the fairly well travelled through streets from 37th Street to Strickland. Maybe some rerouting needs to be considered where these children are concerned.
I agree. I have also been very concerned with the school buses that stop on HWY 62 … the high speeds of the vehicles and especially the 18 wheelers that travel that road. It creates a very dangerous situation for everyone.
Thank you Margaret.
I am that bus driver that has to drop children off and there is no greater fear than watching someone pass my red’s flashing. How do you know that that child or children are not crossing the street? It may seem that we are wasting your precious time but what’s a few minutes to ensure that child gets to live or die. I love all my children that ride my bus and I treat them all as if they were mine or my family. Please people stop for a School Bus. These are innocent children trying to get a education.
The same issue happens on Hwy 62. Saw an 18 wheeler fly past a stopped school bus just South of Winfree Baptist this morning. I was stopped on the inside lane – he flew past on the outside lane.
The problem to those suggesting that they stop on a side street is that as the article states – kids may get off early – and then cross the street. So drop them off on the East side of 16th on a side street – the kid may still run across 16th to the West side. By Stopping on 16th – all traffic is supposed to stop – allowing the kids to cross 16th safely