Drivers in the Bronx and Brooklyn who obstruct bus lanes are now being hit with fines, following the end of a grace period. According to PIX11, the automated camera system along the Bx9, Bx15, B11, and B63 bus routes will enforce fines starting at $50 for a first infraction, escalating to $250 for repeated violations. Having issued only warnings until now, the cameras aim to deter vehicles from double parking or blocking bus lanes and stops.
Equipping bus routes across the city with such monitoring technology has led to measurable improvements. The MTA reports, as per information from News 12, a 5 percent increase in bus speeds and a 20 percent reduction in collisions since the cameras started operating on select routes. Covering over 1,400 buses along 54 routes, the cameras fine drivers who slow down the intricate bus system with their vehicles illegally sitting in the way.
The fine enforcement comes after the MTA's study found the BX20 to be one of the slowest routes in The Bronx, which was covered by News 12 a few months back. With camera enforcement now active, the BX20, BX3, and BX7 routes will be more strictly regulated to ensure the free flow of public transportation. Citywide, 47 bus routes are now surveilled by cameras, with over a dozen in The Bronx alone, aiming to keep lanes clear for the more efficient movement of buses.
Improvements in bus transit times can significantly impact a city's flow, and these measures by the MTA are a direct response to such concerns. Already, dozens of New York City bus routes have begun charging fines for such obstructions, covering various boroughs including Manhattan and Queens. The list of routes now enforcing fines encompasses major arteries in the city's vast public transport network, signifying the MTA's commitment to protecting the right of passage for public service vehicles. And, according to the MTA, our buses might just be getting faster on the whole, as a result of these fines.
