Parking at a bus stop while running to the ATM? It could cost you some serious cash.
Starting today, drivers who park in bus lanes or bus stops along several Metro lines, including some that run through Boyle Heights, can expect citations.
This marks the second phase of the Bus Lane Enforcement program, a collaboration between Metro and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT). AI-powered cameras on buses along the 70 and 910/950 lines will now automatically detect cars parked in violation zones and generate citations. Metro’s 70 line runs through downtown, Boyle Heights and East L.A. via Cesar Chavez Avenue to El Monte, while the Metro J Silver Line 910/950 has stops at L.A. General Medical Center and Cal State L.A.
And tickets aren’t cheap.
Violators can see fines starting at $293 for blocking bus lanes or illegally parking at bus stops, with penalties increasing for repeat offenders. The goal is to ensure buses can travel without obstruction or delays for the transit system’s 750,000 average daily passengers.
It’s also meant to enhance the reliability and speed of bus services along high-traffic corridors where bus lanes are “critical to keeping buses on time” and where blocked lanes can cause delays and unnecessary disruptions for riders, the transit agency wrote in a press release.
Since early March, LADOT issued warnings to drivers parked in violation zones on the affected lines. That warning period ended on Sunday, according to a spokesperson for L.A. Metro.
“Our buses carry hundreds of thousands of people every single day. It’s not fair that a single car blocking a bus lane can hold up a busload of people,” said Metro Board Chair and L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn in a Metro press release. “Those riders deserve to reach their destinations safely and on time. This new ticketing system is important, and I hope people don’t take the risk and move their cars out of the bus lanes.”
The two cameras installed behind Metro bus windshields work in tandem to detect vehicles on the roadway and record the time, location and license plates of cars if a bus stop violation is detected. While artificial intelligence helps identify violations, an LADOT traffic officer is tasked with reviewing citations to confirm if the driver was at fault before issuing a ticket to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Cameras already in use on the 212 and 720 Metro bus lines have resulted in nearly 10,000 citations since November, according to LADOT.
For questions about the Bus Lane Enforcement program, contact LADOT at (866) 561-9742. Information on low-income payment options is available on their website here.
