Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Automated Enforcement

City School Year to Start Without Promised Bus Stop Cameras

Automated stop-sign enforcement won't be enabled on New York City school buses in time for the first day of class on Thursday.

Image: Creative Commons

Automated stop-arm enforcement won't be enabled on New York City school buses when public schools reopen this week — nearly three years after the City Council authorized the life-saving cameras.

Other jurisdictions across the state have already implemented the tech, but it's been slow going in five boroughs: The city launched a six-month "data collection pilot" on 30 buses last year, the results of which officials have not made public.

City Hall did not comment in response to multiple inquiries from Streetsblog asking for an update on the effort. (Update: A rep for Mayor Adams told Streetsblog after publication to expect an update on the program "soon.")

If and when the automated enforcement begins, violators who blow school bus stop signs will receive $250 for their first violation, $275 for their second and $300 for every subsequent ticket within an 18-month period, per city rules enacted last November.

Before he became Department of Transportation Commissioner, then-Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez sponsored the law that empowered the city to use stop-arm cameras, but his now-boss Mayor Adams has shown reluctance to pull the trigger.

A rep for Adams claimed in 2022 that drivers who violate school bus stop signs cause few serious injuries and no fatalities dating back to at least 2014 — echoing comments made by the DOT in 2019 in opposition to Rodriguez's initial legislation.

That bus-mounted stop sign could soon pack a lot more muscle.Photo: Jorge Royan

City stats to back up that assertion are not available due to insufficient reporting by NYPD. A 2022 Streetsblog investigation found that streets with schools on them are far more dangerous than other city streets during the crucial pick-up and drop-off hours.

State lawmakers earlier this year extended the law permitting the use of stop-arm cameras through 2029.

As with speed- and red-light cameras, stop-arm cameras improve safety by changing driver behavior over time. A study by stop-arm camera contract BusPatrol found that stop-sign violations dropped 42 percent in Suffolk County in the three years after the county implemented automated enforcement in 2021.

Jurisdictions across the state have gotten in on the action.

Rockland County issued over 17,000 stop-arm violations since launching automated enforcement last school year, the Journal-News reported. Yonkers issued 18,132 as of late June after launching its program the previous November. Buffalo, meanwhile, will introduce stop-arm cameras this year "as part of a continued effort to keep students safe while traveling to and from school," according to a June 20 statement from Mayor Byron Brown.

Advocates in the five boroughs are eager for the Big Apple to catch up.

“Automated traffic enforcement is an essential tool to protect New Yorkers, especially the youngest and smallest New Yorkers, from crashes," Alexa Sledge of Transportation Alternatives said in a statement.

"Traffic violence has already killed twelve children across the city this year, and expanding automated enforcement to school buses is an important step to keep our children safe. We need to see this technology implemented as soon as possible so every child can arrive home safely from school."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Eyes on the Street: DOT’s ‘Broadway Vision’ Starts to Clear Up

The Department of Transportation has transformed Broadway into a new corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.

July 8, 2025

Amsterdam Leads the Way on E-Bike Regulation — Should New York Follow Suit?

The city's biking- and walking-friendly streets expose the hypocrisy harsh e-bike enforcement without better street design.

July 8, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines: Rethinking Avenue B Edition

DOT is taking feedback on the future of Avenue B. Plus more news.

July 8, 2025

Eric Adams’s ‘Dept. of Sustainable Delivery’ Isn’t Actually A Department

The "Department of Sustainable Delivery" will launch with 45 "peace officers" in 2028, the mayor said on Monday.

July 7, 2025

New Air Quality Stats Dispel Earlier Forecasts for Congestion Pricing Pollution

Air quality has improved or remained steady across the five boroughs since congestion pricing launched in January, city health department data showed.

July 7, 2025

‘Rush’ Routes Debut in Queens Bus Map Overhaul More Than Five Years in the Making

The MTA's new "rush" routes make fewer stops in busy downtown areas to avoid wasted time merging in and out of traffic.

July 7, 2025
See all posts