July 31st, 2025

More than 8,500 citations have been issued to motorists who drove by school buses with a stop arm extended during the 2024-25 school year

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In its second year of operation, the Monroe County School Bus Safety Program issued over 8,500 citations to motorists during the 2024-25 school year, County Executive Adam Bello announced today. In total, 13,300 citations have been issued since the program’s inception in October, 2023.

“In just two years, the Monroe County School Bus Safety program has issued over 13,000 citations to drivers who put our children at risk. That’s not just a number – it’s a wakeup call. Every violation is a potential tragedy and puts the lives of innocent students at risk. This program is holding drivers accountable, while helping protect our children as they travel to and from school every day, said County Executive Adam J. Bello.

The School Bus Safety Program equips school buses with stop-arm cameras to capture and enforce violations when motorists illegally pass stopped school buses with extended stop-arms and flashing red lights. The program is now operational in the Hilton, Greece, East Irondequoit, Webster, and Monroe #1 BOCES school districts, with the technology set to come online soon in Spencerport and Pittsford. The program is funded through fines collected from violators, ensuring no cost to taxpayers or school districts.

“We’ve been with BusPatrol for over a year now and when we were first approached with this opportunity our immediate thought was the safety of our students, staff, and families,” said David Richardson, Executive Director for Student Operations at Greece Central School District. “It’s very alarming to see about 28 citations a day be generated through this program but it is showing a decrease from the 2023 – 2024 school year. Our bus drivers are seeing people stop more, so that tells me it’s working.”

Under New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, drivers must stop for school buses with flashing red lights and an extended stop-arm, whether approaching from the front or the rear, and regardless of the type of road. Violators caught by the Bus Patrol cameras will face a $250 fine for a first offense, with escalating penalties for subsequent violations within 18 months.

All suburban school districts in the county are eligible to participate in the School Bus Safety Program. The City of Rochester and the Rochester Central School District School Board approved their own program in partnership with BusPatrol in March.

For more information about the Monroe County School Bus Safety Program and the BusPatrol partnership, visit www.monroecounty.gov/school-bus-safety.