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MTA New York City Transit plans to install an automated mobile camera system on buses to capture real-time bus lane violations.
By Michael V. Cusenza
MTA New York City Transit plans to install an automated mobile camera system on buses to capture real-time bus lane violations as the agency and the City Department of Transportation step up combined enforcement efforts to increase bus speeds and keep traffic moving on congested streets in the five boroughs, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced on Tuesday.
According to the MTA, the $6.2 million contract was awarded to Siemens Mobility Inc. and includes the purchase, installation, and warranty of the cameras and supporting computer systems. New York City Transit will install an Automated Bus Lane Enforcement system on 123 new buses that will be delivered from 2019 to early 2020 and serve some Select Bus Service routes in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The ABLE system will be used for a pilot program to evaluate the efficacy of automated enforcement of bus lanes and its effect on bus speeds and travel times. According to the agency, the pilot is a result of a successful NYC Transit proof-of-concept test that determined an ABLE system could capture sufficient evidence to enforce bus lane traffic violations. The pilot results will inform NYC Transit’s plans to expand the ABLE program.
“This advanced automated camera technology will make a real difference toward clearing the way for our buses as they navigate some of the most congested roadways in the nation,” said Darryl Irick, MTA Bus Company president and NYC Transit senior vice president of Buses. “Together with our City partners, we are prioritizing public transit on city streets so that our buses and our customers spend less time sitting in traffic. We look forward to putting these cameras on the road and dedicating additional capital funds from congestion pricing and other means so we can expand the program even further.”
According to NYC Transit, the ABLE system captures the license plate information, photos and videos, as well as location and timestamp information, of vehicles obstructing bus lanes to document clear cases of bus lane violation. The system collects multiple pieces of evidence to ensure that vehicles making permitted turns from bus lanes are not ticketed. This information is transmitted to DOT for review and processing. The automated bus lane enforcement program will be administered in partnership with DOT and the City Department of Finance, according to MTA and City administration officials.
In his State of the City address in January, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that to speed up buses citywide seven new Police Department teams will be towing cars parked in bus lanes as part of NYC’s “Better Buses for All” initiative.
“We are excited that the MTA is undertaking this critical effort to help keep bus lanes clear,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, who is also an MTA Board member. “Earlier this year, Mayor de Blasio announced a plan to speed buses by 25 percent over the next two years, and automated enforcement—where we hope to see every bus on every route equipped—will be one more step to reach that ambitious goal.”
