Relates to extending, in a city with a population of one million or more, the bus rapid transit program

Justification

New York City has the highest bus ridership in the United States, with over three million passenger trips made daily. However, New York City also has the slowest bus speeds in the country, with buses averaging speeds of under eight miles per hour-and even slower speeds in congested areas and at busy times of day. To improve bus service, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) partnered with MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) to collectively design and operate more efficient and reliable service. By carefully applying certain elements, such as frequent service, faster fare payment, and dedicated bus lanes, DOT and NYCT created New York City's version of bus rapid transit, a part of which is the City's Select Bus Service (SBS).

Since the launch of the first SBS route in 2008, DOT and NYCT have successfully implemented seven SBS routes in the five boroughs -Fordham Road, Webster Avenue, 1st and 2nd Avenues, 34th Street, 125th Street to LaGuardia Airport, Nostrand and Rogers Avenues, and Hylan Boulevard. These seven SBS corridors carry over 200,000 passengers across the City daily providing riders with faster and more reliable service. In the summer of 2010, New York City was given legislative authorization to operate a temporary bus rapid transit demonstration program that utilizes a camera-based bus lane enforcement system, and the City began operating the system in November 2010.

This program operates in much the same manner as the City's Red Light Camera Program, which has successfully reduced the incidence of red light 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 restrict motor vehicles' ability to stand, park or drive within a bus lane. The images are taken and used as evidence in a proceeding to determine the liability of the owner of the vehicle. The equipment consists of fixed-location units and mobile units that can be moved around to various locations. The violations are treated as the equivalent of a parking ticket; therefore, no points are assessed against the driver. By using camera-based enforcement we have seen an average 10% increase in SBS corridor bus ridership and a 15% - 23% improvement in travel time for all SBS riders. However, the legislative authority for the demonstration

program will expire in September 2015 pursuant to a sunset provision in the chapter law that originally established it.

To ensure the continued success of the bus rapid transit program, it is essential that designated bus lanes continue to remain free of unauthorized motor vehicles. The current law only allows New York City to use camera enforcement on five of the seven SBS routes currently in operation. On two of our routes, 125th Street to LaGuardia Airport and Webster Avenue in the Bronx, we are unable to use bus lane camera enforcement. The lack of camera enforcement reduces the effectiveness of those routes, which are intended to serve as bus rapid transit lanes, as well as any future rapid transit routes that NYCT and DOT plan to launch. The proposed legislation would enhance the program's expansion efforts by adding an additional ten bus lanes that can be camera-enforced, as well as a 60 day warning period on new routes. With the City committing itself to establishing a total of twenty SBS routes by 2018, it is imperative that the City's bus rapid transit program be expanded, and that this program be granted continued authority to use a camera-based enforcement system so as to ensure the unimpaired use of bus rapid transit lanes by authorized vehicles only. This will, in turn, attract new ridership, helping to meet the City's mobility, envir onmental, and economic opportunity goals.

Fiscal implications

None to State

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.