By County Executive Ed Day
Rockland County has long prioritized the safety of our children, and today I’m proud to share that an idea born here has been adopted statewide to make every school commute safer across New York.
When we launched the BusPatrol stop‑arm enforcement program, our goal was simple: deter dangerous drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses so fewer children face harm on their way to and from school.
The cameras provided clear evidence, but over time it became clear that technology alone wasn’t enough. Delays in the courts were weakening the program’s deterrent effect and placing an unnecessary burden on local judicial systems.
Our County Attorney Thomas Humbach and our Intergovernmental Relations & Public Policy Director Stephen Powers developed a practical solution: a dedicated administrative tribunal model — the Traffic Camera Violations Bureau (TCVB) — that can be established locally to handle school‑bus stop‑arm camera cases efficiently and fairly.
Their leadership, together with the BusPatrol team, helped advance this reform beyond Rockland and onto the statewide stage.
The reform authorizes local municipalities to create TCVBs or designate appropriate local entities to process the notices of liability. The Bureau model centralizes hearings before experienced attorney hearing examiners and requires written decisions within 14 business days.
Individuals who fail to answer or satisfy multiple Notices of Liability within a defined period may also be reported to the State, which can decline to registration renewal — a targeted response aimed at willful avoidance, not honest mistakes.
This is not merely an administrative change; it’s a public‑safety improvement. Prompt court hearings strengthen deterrence. When drivers know violations will be reviewed and resolved quickly, they are more likely to obey stop-arms.
The reform reduces caseload pressure on our courts and, most importantly, enhances protection for students boarding and exiting buses.
I thank Thomas Humbach and Stephen Powers for their tireless work, and our partners at BusPatrol for helping us enact a solution that began in Rockland.
As County Executive, I will continue to pursue practical, fiscally responsible measures that protect our children and make government work better for residents.
Our students deserve nothing less.