MTA implements automated camera enforcement system on two bus routes

Two more of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) bus routes will now be equipped with automated camera enforcement (ACE) technology. The 60-day warning period on the M2 and M4 bus routes in Manhattan will begin on April 28. MTA says vehicles improperly using busways and bus lanes, blocking bus stops or illegally double parked will receive warning notices in the mail for an initial period of 60 days followed by summonses thereafter. Summonses start at $50 and escalate to $250 for repeat violators.  

These two routes are in addition to the 34 routes currently enforced. MTA says \over 1,000 buses are now equipped with ACE covering 475 miles of routes, benefiting 700,000 customers.   

The MTA says bus routes with ACE enforcement on average have increased speeds by five percent with some corridors seeing gains as high as 30 percent. ACE routes have also experienced a 20 percent reduction in collisions, and a five percent to 10 percent estimated reduction in emissions. There has also been a 40 percent reduction in bus stops being blocked by vehicles on ACE routes. Only nine percent of drivers commit a second bus lane violation after being fined.   

The ACE program is administered in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) and the New York City Department of Finance. Once automatically captured by cameras on multiple buses, the resulting video, images, license plate information, location and time stamp details are then securely transmitted to NYCDOT for review by Ccty employees and processing thereafter.  

Each corridor with active ACE camera enforcement has signage indicating that those routes are camera-enforced.