An Act To Promote Safe Routes to School
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0833
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: MARLEY, COWGER, BARSTOW, DUCHESNE, EDER, KAELIN, LERMAN, PARADIS, RECTOR
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2057, 29-A MRSA §2116

Legislative Document 
No. 833 
H.P.592 
House of Representatives, February 16,2005 
An Act To Promote Safe Routes to School 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative MARLEY of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator COWGER of Kennebec and 
Il/~ 
/J1.7l/ac~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BARSTOW of Gorham, DUCHESNE of Hudson, EDER of Portland, 
KAELIN of Winterport, LERMAN of Augusta, PARADIS of Frenchville, RECTOR of 
Thomaston, Senator: SA V AGE of Knox. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2057. sub-§§8-A and 8-B are enacted to read: 
8-A. 
Authorize~rsons. 
An operator of a motor vehicle 
shall obey a hand signal or hand-held traffic control device of a 
law enforcement officer, 
school crossing guard or 
any other 
person authorized by an appropriate authority to direct traffic. 
8-B. 
School speed limit sign with flashing lights. 
An 
QRerator of a motor vehicle shall obey the posted speed limit on 
a school speed limit sign when its lights are flashing. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2116 is enacted to read: 
§2l16. 
School zones 
1. 
Fine surcharge. 
The fine designated in accordance with 
Title 4, section 164, subsection 12 for a violation occurring in 
a 
school 
zone as defined in section 101. 
subsection 64-B or 
within 100 feet of a school bus with activated flashing lights is 
doubled when the violation is: 
A. 
Exceeding the speed limit in violation of section 2074, 
unless the fine has already been doubled pursuant to section 
2074, subsection 3-B; 
B. 
Failing to obey a traffic control device in violation of 
section 2057; 
C. 
Failing to stop for a child in a crosswalk in violation 
of section 2056, subsection 4; 
D. 
Illegally passing a school bus in violation of section 
2308 if that school bus is in a school zone as defined in 
section 101, subsection 64-B; 
E. 
Operating under the influence in violation of section 
2411; or 
F. 
Driving to endanger in violation of section 2413. 
Fines under this subsection may not be reduced or suspended. 
Half of a fine adjudged under this subsection must be paid to the 
Treasurer of State to be deposited in the School Zone Safety Fund 
under subsection 3. 
2. 
School crossing guard. 
A school crossing guard or other 
person authorized by an appropriate authority to direct traffic 
Page l-LR1547 (1) 
who observes a violation listed in subsection 1 in a school zone 
as defined in section 101, subsection 64-B or within 100 feet of 
a 
school 
bus 
with activated flashing lights 
may 
report the 
violation to a 
law enforcement officer. 
The crossing guard or 
authorized person shall include in the report the time and the 
location of the violation and the registration plate number and a 
description of the vehicle involved. 
The officer shall initiate 
an investigation of the reported violation and, 
if possible, 
contact the registered owner of the motor vehicle involved and 
request that the registered owner supply information identifying 
the operator. 
The liability of a registered owner under this 
section is the same as the liability of a registered owner who 
illegally passes a school bus under section 2308, subsection 5. 
3. 
School 
Zone Safety Fund. 
There is established the 
School Zone Safety Fund, 
a nonlapsing, interest-bearing account 
referred to in this section as "the 
fund," administered by the 
Commissioner 
of 
Transportation. 
The 
fund 
receives 
money 
deposited by the Treasurer of State pursuant to subsection 1. 
All money deposited in the fund and the earnings on that money 
remain in the fund and may be used on projects to improve school 
zone safety, pupil transportation safety and student safety in 
school bus loading and unloading areas and to promote safe routes 
to school and for the necessary administrative and personnel 
costs associated with the management of fund. 
SUMMARY 
This bill adds hand signals and hand-held traffic control 
devices used by school crossing guards to the motor vehicle laws 
governing traffic control devices. 
This bill also doubles the 
fines 
of 
various 
traffic 
violations 
if 
the 
violations 
are 
committed in a school zone or within 100 feet of a school bus 
with activated flashing lights, with half of the fine going into 
the School Zone Safety Fund, established to promote school zone 
safety and fund school zone safety projects. 
This bill gives 
school crossing guards and other persons authorized to direct 
traffic the authority to report violations in a school zone or 
within 100 feet of a school bus with activated flashing lights. 
It imposes the same liability on owners of vehicles that are 
reported to have committed a violation in a school zone or within 
feet of a school bus with activated flashing lights as on 
owners of vehicles reported to have illegally passed a school bus.