School‑bus driver urges Ulster County to pursue owner liability and equipment upgrades
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Summary
A First Student school‑bus driver told the Ulster County Legislature that motorists frequently pass stopped school buses; he urged passage of a demonstration local law imposing owner liability and funding equipment such as cameras and crossing arms.
Clerk Favella opened a public hearing on proposed Local Law No. 4 of 2026, a demonstration program that would allow owner liability when motorists fail to stop for a school bus displaying red lights and a stop arm. Michael Lewin Jakos, a school‑bus driver for contractor First Student on routes in Woodstock/Onteora, described repeated incidents of motorists passing his stopped bus and said on many days multiple vehicles drive through his bus’s active lights.
"Most days of the week, a car passes my lights," Jakos said, adding some days he sees two, three or four violators. He cited national statistics that 12–17 students are killed annually and hundreds more injured in school‑bus related incidents, the majority involving passing motorists. He recommended equipment changes such as red‑light cameras and crossing arms that extend into the oncoming lane to physically deter vehicles from passing.
Jakos said he had raised the issue with the Ulster County Sheriff, school resource officers and local police; he described enforcement as difficult when motorists see a patrol car and keep going. He urged the legislature to take up legislation and allocate funds for equipment changes that are beyond the authority of bus contractors or school districts alone.
Why it matters: Testimony highlights an enforcement and safety gap affecting student passengers across the county. Proposed owner‑liability authority and equipment investments would have budgetary implications and may require coordination with law enforcement and school districts.
Next steps: The hearing record will be part of the legislative review of Local Law No. 4; no vote on the local law took place at this meeting.
