Passing stopped school buses is both dangerous and illegal. While recognizing April 22, 2021 as the annual "Operation Safe Stop Day," a day committed to raising awareness around this topic, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar shared further information on local efforts to address this safety concern.

Chenango Valley Transportation Supervisor Sue Ticknor joined fellow transportation supervisors and Broome County officials for a Zoom press conference to talk about this matter. During the press conference, Executive Garnar discussed the county's School Bus Stop-Arm Safety Program that was announced at the end of 2019. He shared that the county has partnered with Verra Mobility to install stop-arm cameras on local district school buses free of charge.

Chenango Valley currently has stop-arm cameras on each large bus and the transportation van.

Garnar also shared that with legislation that has been passed, Broome County will begin a "Warning Period" on May 24. During this time, violators caught on camera will be issued a ticket (no fine). After the month-long "Warning Period" is complete, beginning on June 24, drivers who are captured illegally passing buses on camera will receive fines.

In addition, on April 22, as part of "Operation Safe Stop Day," law enforcement officials helped to ticket those who illegally passed stopped school buses.

In the end, it all comes down to one simple goal... keeping kids safe.