First day of classes in Yonkers renews focus on school bus safety
This is the second year of the city's "Yonkers Safe Stop" school bus safety program.
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It's the first day of classes for the Hudson Valley's largest school district, meaning school buses are back on the roads of Yonkers.
Drivers be warned - Yonkers' Safe Stop school bus safety program is in full force.
The initiative, rolled out in the fall of 2023, equipped the city's school buses with cameras to capture cars illegally passing buses throughout the school day.
The city dolled out fines to more than 18,000 violators between November 2023 and June 2024.
Yonkers grandma Angie Swetz said she supports the program and believes it improves safety as well as deters drivers from endangering children's lives.
"It's wonderful, and I'm hoping that it works and that people will pay more attention you know, kids are our jewels," Swetz said.
Buses recorded more than 200 potential violations during the morning drop-off on the first day of school today.
City officials said that number is still too high but show some improvement from the roughly 250 violations during the morning when the program first launched nearly a year ago.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano called on New York lawmakers to push for an expansion of the program statewide.
