Drivers caught blocking bus stops in New York City will automatically get a fine starting Monday as part of a new ticketing initiative to clear city bus routes.
The MTA is cracking down with new automated camera enforcement, or ACE, which uses cameras mounted on buses to capture real-time data of violations. That info is gathered and sent back to the MTA.
If you're caught blocking a bus lane, a bus stop, or even double parking, expect to get a ticket in the mail.
"If you're double parked on our routes, blocking our buses or if you're parked in our bus lanes, you are now going to receive a violation," warned Frank Annicaro, New York City Transit senior vice president of buses.
The ramped up ticketing program follows an extensive warning period, where drivers caught in the bus lane were given notices in the mail.
Fines starts at $50, but can climb up to $250 for repeat offenders.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
"Now drivers won't be getting warnings anymore," DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said last week. "The only way to prevent [a ticket] is if they stay out of the bus lane."
News
The MTA's goal is simple: get traffic moving and make life easier for bus riders. The agency said routes with bus enabled cameras saw speeds increase by 5% and a 20% reduction in collisions.
By their metrics, the MTA said less than 10% of drivers who receive fines commit another bus lane violation.
More than 600 buses across 14 of the MTA's bus routes are equipped with the ticketing cameras.
