NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New bus-mounted cameras will catch cars violating bus lanes regulations beginning on Monday.
MTA equipped 51 Automated Bus Lane Enforcement (ABLE) camera systems on the M15 select Bus Service route to catch vehicles traveling inside the bus lane as part of the the city's plan to reduce traffic and increase bus speeds in the city.The photos and videos of vehicles that obstruct bus lanes are sent to NYCDOT for review.Drivers will only receive a warning during the first 60 days the system is in use, but vehicles who continue to block bus lanes will be fined.
The fines start at $50 for a first violation and increase to $250 for a fifth violation and each offense after that.
According to the MTA, the system collects multiple pieces of evidence that will ensure that drivers will not receive tickets for making permitted turns from bus lanes.By the end of November, the MTA expects to have equipped the ABLE system to the B44 SBS and M14 SBS for a total of 123 buses across the M15, B44 and M14 routes.