The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will start ticketing vehicles blocking bus stops or double parking beginning Monday, Aug. 19. Drivers will no longer be warned as they will receive summonses in the mail starting at $50 and scaling 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).
ACE captures vehicles violating bus lanes and bus stop rules, double parking, and bus stop rules in real-time across four boroughs with Staten Island to be added later this year.
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.
“Millions of New Yorkers depend on a safe and reliable bus operation to navigate the city,” said MTA Chief Accessibility Officer Quemuel Arroyo. “With the activation of ACE today, we can all look forward to clearer bus lanes resulting in faster commutes for all riders who use our buses to get to work, school, and to reach all corners of the city.”
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.
"Our buses carry over 1 million New Yorkers each day, but it only takes one illegally parked car in a bus lane or bus stop to turn their commute into a nightmare," said State Senator Andrew Gounardes. "These cameras keep bus routes clear, so everyone gets where they're going safely and quickly, and I'm particularly glad to see them installed on the B62 in my district, which runs through Downtown Brooklyn. This is a step toward creating a transit system that works for everyone."
Each corridor with active ACE camera enforcement has signage indicating that those routes are camera-enforced.
