Miami

Miami Mayor and Police Officials Give Tips for First Day of School

Safety was the main point of Friday's announcement

NBC Universal, Inc.

With the start of the Miami-Dade County school year just days away, local leaders say traffic safety is a priority.

In anticipation of the first day of school Monday, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez joined the Miami Police Department to spread a message of safety.

More kids will be physically crossing streets -- so fines will be doubled for anyone speeding through school zones, Suarez said.

Other safety measures include "things like increasing the number of 15 mph school zones and improving enforcement in those areas to make sure that people do not go zooming through our schools," Suarez said.

The Miami mayor added there will also be more police officers and crossing guards in the city's 40 schools to ensure everyone's safety.

Meanwhile, a shortage of school bus drivers is also a cause for concern.

Miami-Dade County has lost some drivers to the competition. 

Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said: "Significant competition from FedEx, from Amazon, and we have recovered from that fairly quickly again in part due to financial incentives, a new contract with additional compensation." 

So come Monday, remember to expect traffic, leave early and slow down in school zones.

Contact Us