Minnesota Grants Money to Equip Bus Stop-Arms with Cameras

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) —  School bus companies in Minnesota were recently granted $3.5 million to equip cameras on stop-arms.

This decision by the Minnesota Legislature granted 32 schools the ability to outfit buses with cameras and accompanying software programs. In conjunction with the Minnesota State Patrol, the efforts of the Department of Public Safety is to keep all students safe in and out of the classroom.

According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, stop-arm violations went down over the past four years. However, before COVID-19, the Department of Transportation was seeing more than 1,000 violations in a year.

The grant project is currently in Phase 1, with most grantees in the metro area. Otter Tail Coaches, Inc. and Greenway Public School are also recipients of the grant.

Phase 2 of the grant is open to applications and runs through March 15.

More information about the Stop-Arm grant and related safety information can be found at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s website.