Philly Bus Cameras Catch Over 20,000 Bus Lane Violations

A pilot program revealed roughly 4,000 instances of vehicles blocking bus lanes or bus stops every week.

1 minute read

June 12, 2023, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Two white SEPTA buses with red and blue lines on urban Philadelphia street

A SEPTA bus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. | DuskyJay / SEPTA bus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Since late April, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has been monitoring bus lanes and bus stops on two routes via bus-mounted cameras, documenting 4,000 average violations per week, according to an article by Thomas Fitzgerald in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The agency did not issue any citations, but used the experiment as an opportunity to study the impact of bus lane blockages on transit speed and reliability. “Buses navigating Philadelphia traffic average a speed of 8 mph, SEPTA says, slower than the national average of about 14 mph. Every year, congestion in Center City causes 1.7 million hours of passenger delays and adds $15.4 million to the transit agency’s operating costs, according to a 2019 Econsult Solutions study commissioned by SEPTA.”

The agency will weigh whether to create an enforcement program for bus lane violations, which has shown positive results in New York. As Fitzgerald explains, after beginning to enforce bus lane blocking violations, New York’s MTA reported “big increases in travel speed on some routes and a 30% drop in bus crashes on one major route because operators don’t have to swing into the traffic lane to avoid obstacles as often.”

Thursday, June 8, 2023 in The Philadelphia Inquirer

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight