New Bus Safety Program Launches In Suffolk County

BAY SHORE, NY — Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced that Suffolk County has partnered with BusPatrol to launch a new school bus transportation safety and enforcement program.

The safety program, which is completely cost-free to taxpayers and school districts according to Bellone, will cover 6,000 buses. The program will implement new technology protect every child across all 48 school districts in the county that have chosen to be a part of the program.

"As a father of three children, nothing is more important than ensuring their safety and wellbeing," Bellone stated. "This new technology will ensure that our students will be further protected against dangerous driving when they are boarding a bus to go to school."

The school bus safety program will use world class technology and a public awareness campaign to educate drivers, reduce violations, and protect children. All upfront costs for the installation and maintenance of the stop-arm cameras will be covered by BusPatrol.

The new buses will include new technology designed help keep the children safe including:

• Cloud-connected stop-arm
• Safety cameras that function in variable weather conditions
• 4G LTE connectivity
• AI assisted technology
• 4K and 180-degree coverage
• Anti-vibration technology

"As a parent, I understand how important it is to protect our children. The new reality we are living has brought even greater focus to that responsibility, particularly when it comes to the journey to and from school," Jean Souliere, President and CEO of BusPatrol, said.

The safety technology. will be added to every school bus in Suffolk County. The cameras will help ensure that drivers stop during a bus stop and penalize offenders, Souliere said.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Bay Shore.

"Today is an historic day for student safety," Joseph C. Bond, Bay Shore Schools Superintendent, said. "The enforcement of school bus passing laws through the use of stop arm cameras is going to save lives. I have long advocated for this legislation and I am overjoyed that it is becoming a reality."

In addition, Bellone also announced a new School Bus Safety Advisory Committee that will work to provide recommendations and best practices for implementation of the Stop Arm Camera Program. The committee will make recommendations on a new public awareness campaign to educate residents on the new state law, reasonable enforcement that the public should anticipate and rollout of the new safety program.

Members of the School Bus Safety Advisory Committee include:

• Ron Masera, President, Suffolk School Superintendent Assoc. (Chair)
• Lori Fontana, President, Suffolk PTA Association
• Noel DiGerolamo, President, Suffolk County PBA
• Dan Levler, President, Suffolk County AME
• Susan Lipman, Past President, New York State PTA
• David Christopher, Executive Director, New York Association for Pupil Transportation
• Carol Sicignano, Pat-Med Transportation Coordinator, NYAPT Member
• John Ryan, Longwood Transportation Coordinator, NYAPT Member
• Richard Gallagher, Bay Shore Transportation Coordinator
• Frank Klein, Suffolk Transportation, Director, Safety & Training Operations
• John Corlett, AAA Northeast
• Chuck Conroy, Suffolk Coordinator, Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee
• Robert Brown, Chief of Patrol, Suffolk County Police Department
• Steve Skrynecki, Chief of Police, Southampton Police Department
• Chelley Gordon, Deputy Executive Director, Suffolk County TPVA
• Debra Hagan, President TWU Local 252 / Teamsters 1205
• Jean Souliere, CEO, BusPatrol

The new agreement with BusPatrol was signed this month and the program is expected to go-live in the first quarter of 2021.

"We want to develop a rollout plan that will provide everyone who is interested with advance knowledge of the program," Bellone said. "The singular mission of this program is to reduce and ultimately end violations of the NYS School Bus Passing Law in Suffolk County."

BusPatrol will have installed its SafetyTech solutions on over 50,000 school buses across North America by the end of 2020, including those to be installed on buses in Suffolk County.

"We are pleased that school districts will have the ability to partner with Suffolk County on the School Bus Stop Arm Camera Program," Masera said. "While this program is optional, many districts in the county have already opted to participate. Over the years, we have witnessed incidents where motor vehicle drivers have disregarded stopping for a school bus. In some cases, these incidents have resulted in injuries to students. It is our hope that through a greater awareness this program will enhance the safety of our students and families at school bus stops."