WASHINGTONVILLE – On Monday in front of Washingtonville High School, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced a new school bus safety program that will fine drivers who pass buses loading and unloading students.
Neuhaus said that distracted and texting drivers present a “major public safety issue” for school buses. Every day 50,000 motorists put students at risk by illegally passing stopped school buses in New York State.
“This is a real no-brainer for us because what it does is it’s no cost to the school district, no cost to the local municipality, no cost to the county. All the revenues that it takes to run this program are from the $250 fines that are imposed on people caught on camera passing school buses,” he said.
The county is partnering with BusPatrol by using cameras to catch drivers who violate buses’ no-passing signals. Justin Meyers, president and chief innovation officer of BusPatrol, demonstrated how a series of cameras, inside and outside a bus, will record drivers who disregard safe fines.
The county will hire a part-time enforcement official to process the violations. Neuhaus said that any additional funds generated beyond the cost of the program will go to other traffic safety programs in the county.
The county will launch the program May 8, issuing warnings to alert people of the program; it will start issuing fines June 8.
In addition to the Washingtonville Central School District, three other Orange County school districts have contracted with the program: Kiryas Joel Village Union Free School District, the Enlarged City School District of Middletown and the Newburgh Enlarged City School District.
Neuhaus said he expects other school districts will soon add the program. One hundred New York districts have the program Meyers said.
BusPatrol, based in Hauppauge on Long Island, has been operating the program for 10 years. Twenty-six states including New York have approved automated enforcement.
