D.C. Bus Cameras Will Ticket Drivers Blocking Bus Lanes, Bus Stops

Washington, D.C. will use bus-mounted cameras to issue citations to drivers who block bus lanes and bus stops, reports Jordan Pascale in DCist. “The goal is to reduce trip times, decrease operator stress, increase schedule adherence and reliability and improve bus stop accessibility. Metro says 64% of D.C. bus riders would see better service because of the bus lane enforcement.” According to Pascale, keeping bus lanes clear could speed up average bus speeds in the District from 10 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour.

The program will make Metro and the District Department of Transportation the first agencies to use cameras to ticket drivers for blocking bus stops, meaning a bus can’t approach as closely as it should. Four buses used as part of a test run each captured 60 violations daily. “The camera-equipped buses will first be rolled out on 31 routes that travel through bus lane areas like H and I streets NW in downtown, 14th Street in Columbia Heights, 16th Street NW, M Street SE, Martin Luther King Avenue SE, Pennsylvania Avenue S.E., and Minnesota Avenue S.E.”

The District has seen success with other automated traffic enforcement cameras that ticket drivers for speeding and other violations. However, there has also been a rise in fake or obscured license plates that limits the efficacy of camera enforcement programs.