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History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to rules
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5762 REVISED 06/16/11
Title of bill
An act to amend the public authorities law, the vehicle and traffic law and the public officers law, in relation to bus lane restrictions enforcement by photo devices
Purpose
To expand the bus lane demonstration program.
Summary of provisions
Amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law to expand the Bus Lane Demonstration Program that was established as part of Chapter 59 of the Laws of 2010.
Justification
The New York City Department of Transportation, in coordination with the New York City Transit Authority and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, received authorization from the New York State Legislature in 2010 to implement a Bus Lane Demonstration Program. The legislation allowed for the use of cameras to enhance bus service and to improve travel along five select bus service routes in New York City. That program was initiated in late fall of 2010.
The program was initially prompted by a 53% rise in bus ridership in the City over the past thirty years and a substantial reduction in bus speeds due to increased traffic. More than twenty bus lines average less than ten miles per hour (MPH) during midday. Unreliability is also a major concern, with many bus lines experiencing bus bunching, gaps between service and buses running significantly off-schedule.
Bus lanes are meant to speed buses through traffic congestion, and bus riders deserve the assurance that their $2.25 fare will buy them a trip that is faster than walking. In order to enhance the speed and reliability of the City's buses, designated bus lanes must remain free of parked and moving vehicles, trucks loading and unloading, and other unauthorized motor vehicles. The Designated Bus Lane Program is an effective tool, providing for enhanced enforcement efforts of the New York City Police Department. Expansion of the program will enhance the intended goal of attracting new ridership, helping to meet the City's mobility, environmental, and public health goals.
Signs notifying drivers that bus lane cameras are in use have been installed as per the 2010 legislation and have helped deter drivers from using bus lanes illegally and reduce the incidence of violations. Technology is used to capture photos or videos of vehicles that are in violation of the City's rules regarding bus lane restrictions, which specifically preclude motor vehicles from standing, parking or driving within a bus lane. The equipment has consisted of fixed-location units, mobile units and units mounted on the buses themselves. The images taken by bus lane cameras will continue to be used as evidence in proceedings to impose liability on the owners of the offending vehicles. Violations will be treated as the equivalent of a parking ticket; therefore, no points will be assessed against drivers. Vehicles will continue to be permitted to expeditiously drop off or
pick up in the bus lane and travel in the lane to make the next available right hand turn.
Legislative history
New bill.
Effective date
This bill would take effect 90 days after the bill becomes law, with provisions.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.