Monroe County Executive Adam Bello highlights major success of School Bus Safety Program after more than 6,000 citations

Monroe County, New York – Monroe County officials are reporting strong results from a school bus safety initiative that is aimed at stopping one of the most dangerous violations drivers can commit around children. More than 6,000 motorists were cited for illegally passing stopped school buses during the 2025-26 school year, according to Monroe County Executive Adam Bello.

The latest numbers bring the total number of citations issued through the county’s School Bus Safety Program to nearly 20,000 since it began in October 2023. The program uses cameras mounted on school buses to identify drivers who pass buses while their stop-arms are extended and red warning lights are flashing.

Bello said the program continued to expand during the past school year, adding five more school districts to the effort. Brighton, Fairport, Pittsford, Spencerport and West Irondequoit joined districts that were already participating, including East Irondequoit, Greece, Hilton, Monroe #1 BOCES and Webster.

“Last school year, we added five new districts to our School Bus Safety Program, expanding our mission to ensure unsafe drivers are held accountable and keeping our children safe as they travel to and from school,” said County Executive Adam Bello. “In addition, we have seen a recidivism rate of less than 4%, potentially signaling that motorists who receive a citation rarely receive an additional one.”

The low repeat-offense rate is one of the figures county officials are highlighting as evidence that the enforcement program may be changing driver behavior. Fewer than 4% of motorists who received a citation went on to receive another one, according to the county.

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The number of violations, however, remains substantial. Greece recorded the highest total among participating districts during the 2025-26 school year, with 2,339 citations. Webster followed with 780, while Brighton recorded 774 violations.

West Irondequoit reported 641 citations, while Spencerport had 582 and East Irondequoit had 579. Hilton and Pittsford each recorded 207 citations. Fairport, which joined the program during the school year, recorded 88 citations.

The figures show how widespread the problem can be across different school communities. While some districts recorded hundreds of violations, others saw considerably fewer. County officials say the camera system is intended to make enforcement more consistent and to hold drivers responsible when they ignore the rules surrounding stopped school buses.

The program does not require taxpayers or school districts to cover its operating costs. Instead, it is funded through fines collected from motorists who are caught violating the law.

With another school year approaching, Monroe County officials and safety advocates are also turning their attention toward education. The University of Rochester Medicine’s Trauma Program and the Monroe County Department of Public Safety have launched a campaign called “Spot the Stop,” which is designed to use information from the county’s bus safety program to help educate drivers and families.

Educational materials from the campaign will be distributed to families living in participating school districts as they prepare for the new school year and the return of regular bus transportation. The goal is to remind motorists of the risks involved when they fail to stop for a school bus.

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“School bus stop-arm violations are happening almost 30 times each school day in Monroe County so this is a serious and frequent occurrence,” said Dr. Katherine Riera, a trauma surgeon at Strong Memorial Hospital. “Spot the Stop is a data-driven injury prevention project in response to the alarming number of stop-arm violations locally. We are excited to partner with the county to raise awareness and increase education surrounding school buses. A child being hit by a car getting on or off a school bus should be a ‘never event’ in Monroe County.”

New York law requires drivers to stop when a school bus is displaying flashing red lights and has its stop-arm extended. The requirement applies to vehicles approaching the bus from either direction and remains in effect regardless of the type of road.

Drivers caught by the bus-mounted cameras face a $250 fine for a first offense. Penalties increase for additional violations committed within an 18-month period.

The county says all suburban school districts are eligible to participate in the School Bus Safety Program. The City of Rochester and the Rochester Central School District School Board operate separate programs, which began in November.

As students return to classrooms in September, officials are hoping the combination of enforcement, public education and camera technology will reduce the number of dangerous encounters around school buses. The nearly 20,000 citations issued since the county program began show the scale of the problem, while the low rate of repeat citations offers officials another measure to watch as the program continues.

More information about the Monroe County School Bus Safety Program is available through the county’s website.