Lights, Camera, Action: Bus Lane Cameras Up & Shooting

On November 9, I wrote a post entitled NYC Bus Lane Cameras Coming discussing how the MTA was going to install surveillance cameras on NYC bus lanes, record license plates of cars that illegally cross into them, and issue tickets to violators. These tickets will be a whopping $115 (much more than the $50 fine for tickets issued by red light cameras).

Well these cameras are now installed and will be operational this week on the East Side of Manhattan. Bus lanes on First and Second Avenue will be the first to be enforced with cameras. You can bet that many more bus lane cameras will be coming soon.

Motorists are allowed to use a bus lane only for permitted right turns and expeditious passenger pick ups or drop offs.

A bus lane camera ticket is like a parking ticket (i.e., no points and no driving record consequences). If a police officer issues a bus lane ticket, it also carries no points but will appear on your driver ‘s license (occasionally, police officers issue these tickets under VTL 1110a – disobey a traffic control device – which carries 2 points).