Montgomery County Officials Remind Residents of School Bus, School Zone Laws as Students Return to School on Tuesday, Aug. 26 – Mocofeed

With more than 160,000 students heading back-to-school on Tuesday, Aug. 26, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and the Montgomery County Department of Police (MCPD) ask residents to plan extra travel time and be alert to school buses and children traveling to and from school.  

“Across the County, students are preparing to return to school, and we ask drivers to plan extra travel time,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “We will be aggressively enforcing safe driving laws in school zones and around school buses. Drivers who are caught speeding in a school zone or passing a stopped school bus will face fines and other penalties. Montgomery County is committed to ending pedestrian injuries and fatalities on our roadways. We have taken significant steps to improve pedestrian safety, including banning right turns on red at busy intersections and building out additional sidewalks and crosswalks in school zones through our Safe Routes to School program. Drivers should stay alert, drive with extra caution and prepare to stop for children and school buses.” 

MCPD officers will be across the County focusing on dangerous driving behaviors around school zones. All school buses are equipped with cameras to catch and fine drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. 

“The safety of our students is one of our highest priorities,” said MCPD Chief Marc Yamada. “When drivers speed through school zones or ignore a school bus stop arm, they put children’s lives at risk. We need every driver to do their part. Slow down, pay attention and follow the law. Our officers will be out to help ensure students get to and from school safely.” 

Drivers in Maryland must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus when the stop arm is extended, and the red lights are flashing. Drivers may not pass the bus from any direction until the stop signals are off and the bus is moving again. Motorists are not required to stop if the road is separated by a physical median such as dirt, grass or a barrier. Infractions captured by school bus cameras carry a penalty of $250 for each violation. Violators who are stopped by a police officer face a fine of up to $570 and three points on their driver’s license. 

MCDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program works to encourage and enable children to walk and bicycle to school safely through education, outreach and building safe infrastructure around schools. MCDOT is conducting walk audits at each County school. SRTS projects include building safer walking paths and adding safer street crossings, with 15 projects completed last year. The studies make recommendations for improved crossings and fill sidewalk gaps. Last year, nearly two miles of sidewalks were built near schools as part of the SRTS program. 

The program also offers events and hands-on learning that focus on pedestrian and bicycle safety and free resources to get schools, parents and community groups started. 

“MCDOT is committed to creating a culture of safety on our roadways, particularly around school zones,” said MCDOT Director Chris Conklin. “We work closely with the Montgomery County Public Schools through our Safe Routes to School initiative to ensure students have safe, accessible pathways to walk, bike or scooter to school. We plan to complete 15 school walkability studies in the upcoming fiscal year. In addition, our Pedestrian Safety team hosts hands-on workshops at our public schools through our popular Walking Wednesdays and Bike Rodeo programs. We encourage schools to get in touch with us for free resources to advocate for and promote the safety of our school children.” 

MCDOT SRTS has announced the 15 schools it is performing walkability studies for and will be attending back-to-school nights and promoting a survey to collect safety concern feedback. Visit the SRTS Safety Survey page for a list of selected schools and a link to the surveys. 

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Visit the Montgomery County Safe Routes to School website for more information on the Safe Routes to School program and resources for schools and parents.  

For information on MCDOT programs and services, visit montgomerycountymd.gov/mcdot, follow @MCDOTNow on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and X and subscribe to MCDOT’s “Go Montgomery!” newsletter.       

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Media Contact: Rebecca Mellema, 202-774-7371