30-day warning period begins Monday
The City of St. Cloud's new School Zone Speed Safety Program is operational and will issue warnings for vehicles speeding through school zones beginning Monday, April 7 (today).
Vehicles caught exceeding the 15 mph active school zone speed limit by more than 10 mph will receive a WARNING notice in the mail through May 7, alerting them to their illegal act and reminding them about the importance of driving safely through school zones.
After a 30-day warning period, the program will issue $100 citation to vehicle owners in violation beginning Wednesday, May 7.
St. Cloud joins Osceola County's program, which went into effect in February, with the warning period ending March 21. County officials said more than 5,600 of them were issued to drivers between Feb. 24 and March 21.
The 11 speed cameras have been installed near St. Cloud High School and Michigan Avenue Elementary School on Michigan Avenue, St. Cloud Elementary on Budinger Avenue, Canoe Creek K-8 on Canoe Creek Road and Lakeview Elementary on Columbia Avenue and 5th Street.
Enforcement times include within 30 minutes before through 30 minutes after the start of a regularly scheduled breakfast program, start and ending of a regularly scheduled school session, and during the entirety of a regular school day.
The City of St. Cloud contracted with Verra Mobility — the same speed safety technology outfit the county is using — to administer this safety program. The cameras capture images of vehicle license plates and send them through secure video. St. Cloud Police will then verify each infraction before issuing warnings, then fines. Violators will receive pictures of them violating the school speed limit, and a link to a video of it.
St. Cloud Police spokesperson Andrew Sullivan said the city took cues from the county program to ensure a "seamless transition."
"It took a little longer, but hopefully it will be a benefit in the future," he said.
St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke said the intended benefit is protecting students and faculty on their way to and from school.
“This program will help ,” he said. “This warning period will reinforce to drivers the importance of safe driving behavior, helping the City of St. Cloud to create safer streets."
For more information on the St. Cloud's school zone speed safety program, visit https://www.stcloudfl.gov/2310/School-Zone-Safety-Camera-Program.
