New Yorkers parked in bus stops — or double parked along a bus route — are about to get fined by mail.
The MTA’s automated camera enforcement program, which tags violators’ license plates through cameras mounted on passing buses, is set to begin issuing summons to drivers on Monday.
“When in doubt, you best be sure you’re not blocking a bus route,” MTA’s bus boss Frank Annicaro, told reporters Thursday.
“We still have some folks who have not gotten the message, but they’re going to,” he added. “Those folks, be on notice — you’re getting tickets Monday.”
Since mid-June, the automated camera enforcement program — ACE for short — has been issuing warnings to the registered owners of double-parked vehicles and those parked in bus stops along 14 of the city’s 327 bus routes.
But as of Monday, offenders will be automatically issued a $50 fine, which will scale up to a $250 fine for repeat offenders.
Transit officials said Thursday that an offending vehicle would have to be spotted in the same stop by more than one bus — likely a five-minute window — in an effort to avoid fining drivers who may simply be picking up or dropping off a passenger.
The system is already in use to issue fines to drivers illegally driving in a bus lane, and MTA officials say camera enforcement of bus lanes has led to a 5% increase in bus speeds and a 20% reduction in bus collisions.
Annicaro said Thursday that the MTA hopes to expand the program in the future.
“We’re going to expand this throughout all boroughs,” Annicaro said. “We have 14 routes now. By the end of the year we’re going to expand to an additional 20 routes.”
“We’re planning on going to potentially over 3,000 buses and over 90 bus routes,” he said.