Rochester School Bus Camera Program Issues Over 5,100 Tickets Since January

Violations drop 41% since warning period ended, highlighting the program's impact on driver behavior.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 2:36am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Rochester City School District's school bus camera program has issued over 5,100 tickets since fines began in January, marking a 41% decrease in violations compared to the prior warning period. The program aims to improve student safety by fining drivers who pass stopped school buses with extended stop arms.

Why it matters

School bus safety is a critical issue, with many drivers illegally passing stopped buses and putting children at risk. The RCSD program is an effort to change driver behavior and protect students through automated enforcement, which has proven effective in other cities.

The details

The RCSD school bus camera program began with a 2.5-month warning period starting in November 2025. During that time, 8,856 warnings were issued. Since fines went into effect on January 20, 2026, the city has issued 5,166 tickets as of March 26th, a 41% decrease from the warning period. In the past week alone, around 780 tickets were issued.

  • The warning period began on November 3, 2025 and lasted through January 19, 2026.
  • Fines for the program officially began on January 20, 2026.

The players

Rochester City School District

The public school district serving the city of Rochester, New York, which implemented the school bus camera enforcement program.

Sara Frederick

A parent of a student at RCSD's School of the Arts, who supports the program for improving student safety.

Levi Bursey

A parent who feels the program has made it safer to send his daughter to school on the bus instead of having to drive her himself.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The safety of the kids is more important. If you want to be sure that you're on time, leave earlier. Don't go around the school bus.”

— Sara Frederick, Parent

“I have to get up every morning and take her to school and pick her up at 3:30 every day. I think it's super. It's a good idea.”

— Levi Bursey, Parent

What’s next

The city says drivers can contact them on their website to challenge any tickets they receive through the program.

The takeaway

The RCSD school bus camera program has significantly reduced the number of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses, improving student safety. This highlights the potential for automated enforcement to change driver behavior and protect vulnerable road users when implemented effectively.