Student Safety is a priority for Verra Mobility and New York’s Onondaga County. The two have partnered together to implement an advanced school bus stop arm safety program that should reduce traffic violations around school buses.

The program will enable stop-arm safety camera technology to be installed on more than 500 buses. The stop arm camera system automatically documents and reports vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses by capturing evidence that can be used to uphold the law.

"Too often, drivers disregard laws that are intended to protect children while they are boarding and exiting school buses," stated New York State Assemblyman William Magnarelli. "A recent study by the New York Association for Pupil Transportation determined that motorists pass stopped school buses more than five passes on average per day per bus. These cameras will serve as a deterrent to drivers from passing stopped school buses and ultimately save students' lives."

Reach of the Program

This is one of the most extensive school bus stop arm programs in New York, and will commence with six school districts, which include more than 20,000 students and 40 schools.

The program will roll out in phases, launching in Baldwinsville School District, East Syracuse Minoa School District, Jamesville-Dewitt School District, Liverpool School District, and North Syracuse School District.

"This initiative will hold drivers accountable for illegally passing stopped school buses, helping to protect our children and make our roadways safer," said Onondaga County Executive J. Ryan McMahon, II.

Incorporating advanced AI integration, the program will include a full-services solution to implement it. A public education campaign is also being planned to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal school bus passings.

The technology will also help increase camera performance in extreme weather conditions in the Syracuse area.

"Our stop arm safety technology has consistently demonstrated its ability to reduce dangerous traffic violations," said Belinda Olivares, general manager of Verra Mobility's Bus Safety Division. "In Onondaga County, we're not just implementing a technology solution – we're creating a comprehensive safety ecosystem that protects our most vulnerable road users. Our school bus stop arm program is about changing driver behavior and ultimately saving lives."

Reducing Illegal School Bus Passings

Passing a stopped school bus with its stop arm extended is against the law.

New York legislation has set the fine for offenses to start at $259 and increase with subsequent violations. When an illegal passing is captured, an event package (including video evidence of the violation) will be sent, verified, and approved by the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office before being issued to the vehicle owner.

The program will be funded through the citations received from illegal behaviors, having no up-front cost to Onondaga County or the school districts and keeping the funds within the County.

Verra Mobility’s stop arm safety program has shown that 98% of drivers who receive violation for illegally passing a school bus do not repeat the behavior. Through community awareness programs have experienced a more than 50% reduction in issued citations.

Comprehensive training to district personnel and local law enforcement will be provided by Verra Mobility to ensure smooth implementation and maximum effectiveness. Both parties aim to implement the program for the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year and will conduct a public awareness campaign starting 30 days before citations are issued.