New York City Mayor Pushes Bus Lane Ticket Cameras

Article: New York City Mayor Pushes Bus Lane Ticket Cameras

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is lobbying for the authority to install cameras that will issue traffic tickets not to promote safety, but to promote bus service. The devices would monitor lanes on city streets that have been taken away from general purpose use and designated "bus only." Any vehicle straying into one of these lanes -- even momentarily -- would be photographed and the owner would receive a ticket for $115 in the mail weeks later.

"To ensure the success of the Bus Rapid Transit and Bus Mobility Demonstration Program, it is imperative that the designated bus lanes remain free of unauthorized motor vehicles," the legislation's official summary explained. "Accordingly, the mayor urges the earliest possible favorable consideration of this proposal by the legislature."

The idea of bus lane ticketing was imported from the city of London where Mayor Ken Livingstone championed their use along with a congestion tax. By 2005, that city's test program had generated 426,000 citations and more than £30 million (US $60 million) in revenue. This week, Livingstone lost his bid for re-election by a six-point margin.

If adopted by the legislature, New York City's pilot project would only cover fifty miles worth of streets and operate from 7am to 7pm on weekdays. Assembly Bill 10233 merely adds bus lane ticketing to an existing law authorizing New York City to ticket vehicle owners with red light cameras. More