The MTA is requesting that increased enforcement be included in the state budget in order to crack down even harder on motorists who impede bus lanes.
MTA representatives discussed their plans to broaden the autonomous bus camera program at a news conference on Friday.
The MTA is already photographing people who are using bus lanes illegally, capturing their license plate numbers, and mailing them $50 penalties using onboard cameras and software. Rich Davey, president of transit, claims that enforcement needs to be strengthened. To get people who shouldn't be in a bus lane or a bus stop out of those places is what we're aiming to achieve.
The MTA and Department of Transportation would be able to punish specific traffic infractions that obstruct buses under a bill in the New York State Legislature that would make the camera enforcement program in bus lanes permanent.
The following traffic restrictions would apply to buses:
- Parking in bus lanes twice
- Using bus lanes to turn
- In bus lanes and at bus stops, there are no-standing zones
- Parking in front of bus stations and in bus lanes
224,000 Violations
According to the MTA, its data demonstrates that most drivers who receive a penalty for obstructing bus lanes seldom commit the same infraction again. Since bus lanes began to use cameras for enforcement, more than 224,000 violations have been recorded, with only 5% of offenders committing more than two.
One of the first bus routes to use the enforcement cameras was the M15-SBS route in October 2019. According to authorities, the M15-SBS is currently the fastest route that solely uses local Manhattan streets. Since the route's establishment, there have been 34% fewer collisions on it.
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