Metro Begins Bus Lane Camera Parking Ticket Program

Metro has launched its pilot Bus Lane Enforcement Program (BLE), a partnership with LADOT that uses on-bus cameras to issue tickets to cars obstructing priority bus lanes. 

The BLE is part of Metro’s NextGen Bus Plan, which aims to reimagine the city’s bus service to “focus on providing fast, frequent, reliable and accessible service.” And though the NextGen program has installed more than 40 miles of Bus Priority lanes, those lanes don’t work as intended when obstructed.

As any bus rider (or cyclist biking in a shared bus/bike lane) can attest, illegally parked cars impeding bus lanes or stops are a huge problem in LA.

Previous work from Metro found more than 800 parking violations on the Wilshire bus lanes in one month, and a survey of more than 200 bus riders indicated private vehicles blocked the Alvarado St. bus lanes at least half the time, according to a presentation Metro gave on the BLE last month.

The hope is that Metro’s enforcement program will deter illegal parking, opening up bus lanes for faster service and ensuring safe travel. The program could also be a major win for bus accessibility; illegally parked cars at bus stops especially burden bus riders with disabilities, who may be unable to use the bus when it can’t pull fully into its stop and deploy the ramp.

Metro has begun Phase 1, issuing citations to cars parked in bus lanes or at bus stops on lines 720 and 212 within the city of LA; Phase 2, which is set to begin March 10, will expand the program to include bus lines 910, 950, and 70. According to Metro, those lines collectively serve more than 60,000 people daily. The first citation includes a $293 fine, which rises to $381 if not paid on time; the fine for a second penalty is $406. Revenue from the BLE will be split 75/25 between Metro and the City of Los Angeles “pending execution of Memorandum of Understanding,” according to Metro’s presentation on the BLE.

How does Bus Lane Enforcement work?

Screenshot from Metro’s February presentation on the BLE.

Metro has installed a small camera system — which includes an automated license plate reader (ALPR) camera — behind the windshields of buses to detect parking violations; when the camera system detects a parking violation in the bus lane or bus stop, it creates an “evidence package,” which comprises a short video and photographs of the violation, a photo of the offending driver’s license plate, and the time and location where the incident occurred.

Once the violation is documented, the evidence package is sent to LADOT, where employees will review the evidence package to determine whether a ticket should be issued to the vehicle's registered owner.

The pilot program provides for installing 100 ALPR-enabled cameras on Metro’s bus fleet and will run through Dec. 31, 2026.

Using ALPR cameras on transit vehicles for parking enforcement has been an option for any California municipality since October 8, 2021, when Governor Newsom signed AB 917 into law.

AB 917, which SAFE supported, authorized California municipalities to start issuing tickets using ALPR cameras until the end of 2026 the day it was signed — so despite the step in the right direction, Metro and the City squandered valuable time (and money in lost ticket revenue) by not developing a Bus Lane Enforcement program more quickly. (The program is expected to bring in roughly $5 million annually before expenses, according to Joe Linton at StreetsBlog LA.)

What can we expect from the BLE?

Both Metro and the City have touted the improved rider experience that the BLE program will offer Angelenos — not to mention the safer rides for all road users, as buses can remain in their designated priority lane instead of merging into busy traffic lanes.

In their presentation last month, Metro also noted that the BLE helps the City of LA to hit a few (oft-neglected) benchmarks: it supports improving travel time on LA County’s bus network by 30% in 2028, part of the City’s 2019 Green New Deal; and enhances the strategic transit corridors of bus lane improvements for a Transit Enhanced Network as part of the City’s 2016 Mobility Plan.

There are also a few success stories that Metro called out: since New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. have implemented Bus Lane Enforcement programs, the three cities have seen a 30% improvement in bus speed and a 20% improvement in ridership growth.

It’s too bad that Los Angeles didn’t get its act together quickly enough to join NYC, SF and D.C. on the above list of “success stories,” but here’s hoping that the new BLE will improve bus safety and efficiency and make LA’s roads safer for everyone.