New ordinance goes after drivers who don’t stop for school buses in La Crosse

You’ll see it once in a while — drivers blowing past a stopped school bus that’s red lights are flashing.

Wisconsin state law actually allows that in some places. It has to do with sidewalk placement.

Many of the kids riding buses in La Crosse get picked up and dropped off in zones that are exempt from state laws on stopping for buses.

North side city council rep. Scott Neumeister is among the council members looking to change that with a new ordinance that would address several near misses between cars and kids.

“What they’re seeing is, people are ignoring the flashing lights and the stops,” Neumeister said. “People are just going around it.

“They’ll complain, but the he police officers in the city just can’t do anything about it.”

Under state law, those places exempt from school bus stop laws have to opt in to allow local enforcement. La Crosse is one of those places that simply has never done so.

“Ultimately we want people to be safe,” Neumeister said. “We’ve had a rash of deaths and other injuries (nationally) with these bus stop deals and we want it to not happen in La Crosse.”

The city council next month votes on an ordinance that would allow city police to ticket drivers who don’t stop for buses that have red lights flashing.