NYC Camera Program Captures 400,000 Bus Lane Violations

New York City has issued over 400,000 tickets to drivers who block bus routes or park in bus lanes in five months, reports Dave Colon in Streetsblog NYC. The camera-issued tickets made up the bulk of bus lane violations issued. “According to the data, cameras gave out 76.4 percent of bus lane and bus stop violations issued in the city, with a staggering 93 percent of those tickets given out by cameras in December 2024.”

Colon adds, “The Automated Camera Enforcement system began with 623 buses on 14 routes that came online in August after an initial warning system, and then expanded to 1,000 buses on a total of 34 routes by the end of November.”

The program seems to work for most drivers: just 13 percent of first-time violators received a second ticket, although 9 percent went on to receive a fourth or fifth.

The MTA says the program has resulted in a 5 percent overall increase in bus speeds (as much as 25 percent on some routes). Crashes involving buses have decreased by 20 percent, and bus emissions went down by 5 to 10 percent.