This week, the BX36 got cameras to ticket drivers parking in bus lanes and stops.
Car traffic and drivers in the bus lane keep home health aid Lisandra Ramos from getting to her client on time.
“I usually get to work late every day because of the traffic,” Ramos said.
What You Need To Know
- The BX36 got cameras to ticket drivers parking in bus lanes and stops
- There is a 60-day grace period where drivers will get warnings instead of fines
- Fines start at $50 for the first offense and can go up to $250
The Bronx resident takes the BX36 twice a day and five days a week as part of a two-bus journey to get between work and home.
She is glad the MTA installed cameras on BX36 buses that will hit drivers who park in bus lanes or block bus stops with $50 tickets.
“It takes a lot of time to get to work on time,” Ramos said.
The BX36 is a busy route that runs east and west through the Bronx, into northern Manhattan by the George Washington Bridge.
“[The] Bx36 remains among the slowest largely because the maneuvering through traffic, double-parked cars, delivery vehicles and just overall bus stops being obstructed,” MTA bus chief Frank Annicaro said at a news conference.
So far, the MTA installed cameras on more than 500 buses out of a fleet of 6,000. They are in buses along several routes in each of the boroughs.
MTA officials say they hope to get them in more than a thousand buses by the end of the year.
“We face on a daily basis obstruction on bus stops and bus lanes that interfere not only with our safety, passenger safety but also interferes with delay of service,” Bronx bus driver Misael Cancel said.
Dana Edwards rides a bus and drives during the week.
She said her bus ride has been better and there is no need to ticket drivers along Tremont Avenue.
“Just another way to get the taxpayer money. We’re tired of it,” she said.
For Ramos, however, she hopes drivers who get a ticket for blocking buses change their behavior.
“I hope they follow the rules and learn a lesson once they start getting their tickets,” Ramos said.
The bus camera system on the BX36 went into effect on Monday. There is a 60-day grace period where drivers get warnings before they’re hit with fines.