By Bob Katzen

Gov. Healey signed into law a measure that would allow public transit agencies to use bus-mounted cameras to record and issue fines against illegal parking in bus lanes and bus stops.
The bill sets a minimum fine of $25 and a maximum of $125 for bus lane violations, and a flat $100 fine for bus stop violations. It also prohibits bus lane and bus stop violations caught on camera from being considered “moving violations” that would raise a diver’s insurance premiums.

“This is something the MBTA has been looking to do for a long time,” said Christian MilNeil, the editor of StreetsblogMASS. “The MTA has been using cameras to enforce bus lanes in New York City since 2019, and the vast majority of drivers who receive a camera-based bus lane violation don’t make the same mistake twice. So the value in these systems isn’t in issuing more fines – it’s in keeping bus stops clear so riders can access buses safely and keeping bus lanes clear so that bus operators can spend more time moving passengers instead of waiting stuck in traffic.”