School Bus Safety Program Moves Forward with Legislative Approval
Published on April 21, 2026
KINGSTON, NY - The Ulster County Legislature this evening passed a local law, proposed by County Executive Jen Metzger and the Legislature’s Law Enforcement & Public Safety Committee Chair Deborah Clinton (D-16, Gardiner/Plattekill), establishing a Countywide program to deter illegal passings of stopped school buses using stop‑arm safety cameras. School districts can opt in to the program through an Intermunicipal Agreement with the County.
In New York, an estimated 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass school buses on a daily basis, according to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, putting children's lives at risk when they cross the street to get on the bus in the morning and return home at the end of the day. Ulster County will partner with BusPatrol, a vendor used by other counties in the region for the program, to install camera systems on school buses in participating school districts and administer the program.
The new program is one of a number of road safety initiatives launched by the County Executive over the last two years. Others include annual “Safe Start to School” and “Safe Start to Summer” road safety awareness campaigns and the purchase of radar speed signs for municipal use to slow traffic and to capture speed data.
“Illegal passings of stopped school buses occur on an almost routine basis, endangering the lives of children crossing the street to and from the bus,” said Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger. “In partnership with school districts, the new program will combine public education and robust enforcement to greatly reduce illegal passings and ensure the safe delivery of our kids to school and back home again.”
County Executive Metzger helped pass the state-enabling legislation for school bus stop-arm camera programs when she served in the State Senate in 2019.
“Protecting our children is a responsibility we all share,” said Legislator Debra Clinton, Chair of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee and sponsor of the legislation. “Stop-arm cameras are a practical, proven way to increase driver awareness, improve accountability, and prevent the dangerous behavior of passing a stopped school bus. This is about creating safer roads and making sure every student gets to school and home safely. I look forward to seeing them implemented on school buses throughout the County.”
“As a parent, I understand that every family expects their child to get to and from school safely,” said Everett Erichsen, Commissioner of Emergency Services for Ulster County. “This program is a practical step to help reduce dangerous behavior around school buses and support safer conditions for our kids.”
“This is about protecting kids, plain and simple,” said Peter Criswell, Chair of the Ulster County Legislature. “Stop-arm cameras are a proven way to reduce dangerous passing and save lives, and we’re pleased to join our neighboring counties in adopting this approach. Together, we’re sending a clear message: in Ulster County, student safety comes first.”
Potential violations captured by the camera systems will first be reviewed by BusPatrol, and an evidence package will then be sent to a technician with law enforcement experience in the Ulster County Department of Emergency Services, who will make the final determination on issuing a violation. For the first 30 days of the program, only warnings will be issued to drivers. After the first 30 days, fines will be issued for violations; however, no points will be added to drivers’ licenses.
The County’s share of revenue from the program will be used to support staff time to review evidence packages and to fund traffic‑safety education and related initiatives. BusPatrol will cover all equipment, installation, signage, maintenance, program management, and customer service costs. The program involves no out-of-pocket costs for the County.
Ulster County will also create a publicly accessible webpage through the Department of Emergency Services outlining the program, including the warning period, violation review process, fine structure, contest procedures, and chain‑of‑custody protocols.
Data collected from the program will also help the County identify corridors with repeated violations and evaluate whether additional engineering or traffic‑calming measures are needed.