| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 23, 2026 | Contact: Beth Cefalu, Director of Strategic Communications (845) 638-5645 |
New City, NY – The County of Rockland is issuing this statement to correct a series of factual inaccuracies and misleading characterizations published by the Rockland County Business Journal in multiple articles authored by their editor/reporter Tina Traster regarding the County’s School Bus Safety Program.
The County does not take lightly the decision to publicly rebut reporting by a local media outlet. Local journalism plays a critical role in informing the public, and it is precisely because local media is generally regarded as more trustworthy that this situation is so disappointing.
Spreading disinformation is NOT journalism; it paints a media outlet as untrustworthy and undermines public understanding. It is exactly this type of unethical behavior that is contributing to the broader erosion of trust in the media that is already at an all-time high.
Ms. Traster’s reporting began following her own receipt of a Notice of Violation (NOV) after she passed a stopped school bus. Her claims that she did nothing wrong is not accurate reporting. It is abundantly clear from the video, which County personnel viewed and evaluated prior to issuance of the Violation, that the bus stopped and put on its flashing red lights. Those lights were on for at least 5 to 6 seconds before Ms. Traster’s vehicle drove by without even slowing. Of those 5 to 6 seconds, approximately 3 seconds passed after the bus’ stop arm was fully deployed.
She didn’t slow down when the bus came to a stop, she didn’t slow down when the red flashing lights came on, and she wasn’t slowing down as she passed the bus. She engaged in a flagrant violation of a law intended to protect the safety of children. Despite the time stamped video which clearly shows this violation of law, she continues her disingenuous crusade against a program that has proven effective at protecting children by changing drivers’ behavior.
Make no mistake, Ms. Traster has been given access to this video. However, she has chosen not to publish it because she knows that doing so will reveal that she lied. Instead, she has chosen to make untrue statements about her case and the cases of anonymous people who may not even exist or who, like her, are in fact liable for this violation.
To dispel all myths and give an understanding of New York State law as it is written, specifically Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1174-a, drivers are prohibited from driving past a school bus displaying its red flashing lights regardless of whether or not the stop arm is fully extended or even extended at all. This is the same standard as if a police officer witnessed the offense.
One hundred percent of the cases drivers have brought to court, even those found in favor of the driver, show a violation of the law. They show a driver passing a school bus while the red lights are flashing. We agree that some judges think drivers may not have had a “fair” chance to notice the lights, or to slow and stop. We do not control judges or the standards by which they apply the law, and it is the prerogative of the court to rule as they see fit. But just because some judges are not applying the law strictly, does not mean the driver did not violate the law. It just means the court was merciful.
In some jurisdictions, the County is 90% successful and others only 30% successful. That is a difference in the judges, not a difference in the facts presented. Contrary to Ms. Traster’s misleading reporting of a tiny subset of cases back in 2024, in 2025 60% of cases resulted in a penalty being issued, the remainder were violations, but they were excused by the courts.
Returning to Ms. Traster’s case, Ms. Traster contested the Notice of Violation and appeared in court. While she clearly violated the law with her dangerous driving, the law requires the County to get a certification from the State Department of Transportation to prove that the bus had all the necessary signage and lights and mirrors required for a school bus. On the day of Ms. Traster’s trial, that paperwork had not yet arrived from the State. Due to this issue, unrelated to whether or not Ms. Traster passed a school bus with red lights on, the County made the decision to voluntarily withdraw the case.
The Notice of Violation was not withdrawn because it was issued in error, nor because the evidence of her driving failed to show that she illegally passed a school bus. Anyone suggesting otherwise is not being truthful in the face of indisputable video.
The program is working. In fact, data from the approximately 40,000 violations that have been issued to vehicle owners indicate the program saw a 30.5% decrease in citations issued at the start compared to the end of the 2024-25 school year. In addition, 90+% of violators don’t receive a second violation.
The County acknowledges the inconvenience associated with the court process, which is out of County control as all courts tend to have backlogs and regret the procedural issue that necessitated withdrawal. However, it is deeply concerning that RCBJ is framing this outcome as proof that the program is flawed or illegitimate over the frustration that Ms. Traster feels her time was wasted contesting the violation in court.
Equally troubling is the continued publication of commentary that minimizes the seriousness of illegally passing a stopped school bus. This behavior places children — who are most vulnerable while boarding or exiting buses — at real and immediate risk. Enforcement programs exist precisely because tragedy too often follows when drivers fail to stop and police cannot be everywhere.
As an editorial recently pointed out, those critical of the program should focus on the simplest solution: follow the law. When drivers stop as required, no violation is issued and no penalty applies.
Ms. Traster has chosen not to publish any video evidence of her violation (or others). Any responsible examination of the facts would include the video footage that initiated enforcement in the first place.
The County encourages transparency, unfortunately the law prohibits the administration from sharing the video other than to prosecute the case or for educational purposes, and to that end, Ms. Traster is invited to publish the video associated with her violation (or others she has reported on) so readers can know the full truth.
It is also important to note that Rockland County is not alone in implementing stop-arm safety enforcement. Neighboring counties and districts are expanding similar programs in response to rising numbers of drivers illegal passing stopped school buses.
While criticism is expected and welcomed when fair and factual, the publication of misleading narratives does a disservice to the public and distracts from its ultimate goal: preventing children from being injured or killed. That purpose should never be overshadowed by personal frustration or mischaracterized for effect.