Fines Start at $50 and Scale up to $250 for Repeat Violators
623 Buses on 14 Routes Have Automated Camera Enforcement
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today began issuing summonses to vehicles blocking bus stops or double parking. Summonses start at $50 and scale up to $250 for repeat violators. This is in addition to existing enforcement of cars blocking bus lanes on 14 bus routes equipped with Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) that captures vehicles violating bus lane and bus stop rules, and double parking in real-time across four boroughs with Staten Island to be added later this year.
New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Buses Frank Annicaro today rode the M34 Select Bus Service (SBS) from 11 Av to 5 Av and in one case, got off the bus to personally tell a driver blocking the bus to move.
When enforcement cameras are activated, on average, routes see bus lane speeds increased by 5%, a 20% reduction in collisions, and a 5% to 10% estimated reduction in emissions. Only 9% of drivers commit another bus lane violation after being fined. All 623 buses on the 14 routes that currently feature lane enforcement technology on bus lanes have now upgraded capability to enforce bus stops and double-parked locations.
Enforcing vehicles parked in bus stops helps ensure buses can pull to the curb, allowing all customers to safely exit and board the bus including those using wheelchairs or mobility devices and those pushing strollers or carts. ACE builds on the many accessibility improvements New York City Transit has made to its bus fleet since 1993 when it became since the first large public transit agency to have a 100% wheelchair accessible fleet.
The ACE program is administered in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) and the New York City Department of Finance (NYCDOF). Once captured by the cameras, video, images, license plate, location and time stamp information are then transmitted to NYCDOT for review and processing. Since 2019, NYCDOT has issued of 438,660 notices of violations. By the end of 2024, there will be 1,023 ACE equipped buses across 33 routes.
Each corridor with active ACE camera enforcement has signage indicating that those routes are camera-enforced.