Pittsfield Launches School Bus Camera Pilot to Catch Drivers Who Blow Past Stopped Buses

A new safety program is now active on Pittsfield streets, and drivers who ignore stopped school buses are on notice. I've accidentally done this - and the bus driver shamed me with the biggest blast of the horn ever.

The City of Pittsfield and Pittsfield Public Schools launched a stop-arm camera pilot program today, starting with Bus 128. The camera will capture photos and video of any vehicle that fails to stop when the bus has its red lights flashing and stop arm extended.

Bus 128 runs through some of the city's busiest corridors, including South Street, East Street, West Housatonic Street, Springside Avenue, South Mountain Road, Cloverdale Street, and Benedict Road.

Massachusetts law requires drivers in both directions to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign. Drivers must remain stopped until the signals turn off. The only exception is on a divided highway with a physical median separating the lanes.

Footage captured by the camera will be reviewed by the Pittsfield Police Department. If a violation is confirmed, a citation will be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. First offense carries a $250 fine. A second offense jumps to $500.

Because this is a pilot program, PPD will spend the first 30 days issuing warnings rather than fines for first-time violations. That grace period begins today.

The camera program was made possible by a bill signed into law by Governor Healey on January 10, 2025, allowing Massachusetts cities and towns to use bus-mounted cameras to enforce the state's school bus stop laws.

"This safety enhancement is part of our continued efforts to help protect students during loading and unloading times," said Director of Bus Operations Colleen O'Brien.

Police Chief Marc Maddalena called the cameras an added tool to keep kids safe on their way to and from school. Mayor Peter Marchetti asked drivers to cooperate with all safety measures in the city.