Williamsville board adopts tighter bus-stop standard after safety audit and public outcry
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Summary
After several parents urged more flexibility, the Williamsville board adopted an updated transportation policy (57 10) that affirms stops at corners, hydrants or 'district designated' locations; a Pupil Transportation Safety Institute audit found 73% of sampled stops appropriate and recommended enhancements at 19 sites.
The Williamsville Central School District Board of Education on Nov. 18 adopted an updated transportation policy, 57 10, that specifies school bus stops may be established at street corners, fire hydrants or at a district‑designated location deemed "safe and efficient for bus routes." The board voted to adopt the revised policy after hearing multiple public comments about safety at newly assigned stops.
Parents and other residents told the board the district’s recent strict enforcement of Policy 57 10 moved many stops farther from homes, forcing young children to walk along roads without sidewalks. "Children as young as 5 are required to walk along a road that has no sidewalks and that has traffic that often does not adhere to posted speed limits," Whitney Wild said during the first public comment period, urging the board to restore case‑by‑case flexibility that previously allowed drivers and parents to agree on safer, local pickup points.
District staff said the administration adhered to the written policy after a transportation efficiency study and engaged the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute (PTSI) to audit a representative selection of stops that had prompted complaints. PTSI presented on‑site observations of 71 stops across 24 neighborhoods. Maria Caracci of PTSI summarized the findings: 52 stops (about 73 percent of those reviewed) required no recommendations, and auditors made 22 enhancement recommendations at 19 stops, including shifting a stop a few feet, combining stops, creating house stops, removing obstructions and, in some cases, adding official stop signage.
Board members asked PTSI about winter conditions, snow and visibility. Caracci said auditors measured roadway widths and sight distances and factored in obstructions, and that established stops help drivers verify expected riders and avoid missing children. District staff and trustees also noted that restoring door‑to‑door service across many streets would add hundreds of stops and require additional buses the district could not afford.
During discussion of the proposed policy amendment — language adding "or at a district designated location that is safe and efficient for bus routes" — the board debated balancing consistent routing with neighborhood safety concerns. The motion for second review and for adoption of the updated Policy 57 10 was moved and seconded; the board carried the motion unanimously.
The board returned to the regular agenda after adopting the policy. District officials said they will begin implementing the PTSI recommendations where appropriate and will continue to accept parent inquiries for individual stop reviews.
What’s next: The district will proceed with recommended stop enhancements (signage, minor relocations or obstruction removal) and maintain a channel for parents to submit specific stop concerns; the board did not reinstate broad house‑to‑house pickup authority at this meeting.
(Reporting note: Policy 57 10 and the Pupil Transportation Safety Institute findings were presented publicly to the board and appear in board materials and the Nov. 18 meeting transcript.)