NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The 14th Street Busway plan, which allows the city to partially ban cars on 14th Street from Third to Ninth Avenues goes into effect Thursday.
In an effort to speed up buses along 14th Street, the city will limit access to the busy crosstown corridor between Third and Ninth avenues from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to city buses, large trucks and vehicles making local deliveries or pick-ups and drop-offs.
Some riders are on board with the new car ban. "I feel like this is going to make a change," Bernadette Malorna says.
According to MTA data, buses such as the M 14, travel less than 4 mph. With the new restrictions on car traffic, officials expect bus speeds across 14th Street to improve by 20 to 30 percent.
Traffic cameras will keep an eye on vehicles that try to sneak onto the street.
The first offense will cost $50 with each successive violation costing an additional $50, with $250 as the max penalty.