MTA Expands Automated Camera Enforcement to Three More NYC Bus Routes
The MTA is expanding its Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) program to three additional bus routes in New York City, targeting vehicles that illegally use bus lanes, block bus stops or double-park. The 60-day warning period for the Q65 route in Queens and the B1 and B6 routes in Brooklyn will begin Monday, October 12. During this period, violators will receive warning notices by mail before monetary penalties take effect • Read More
The MTA is expanding its Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) program to three additional bus routes in New York City, targeting vehicles that illegally use bus lanes, block bus stops or double-park. The 60-day warning period for the Q65 route in Queens and the B1 and B6 routes in Brooklyn will begin Monday, October 12. During this period, violators will receive warning notices by mail before monetary penalties take effect.
Once the warning period ends, fines will begin at $50 for a first offense and increase to $250 for repeat violations. The program aims to improve bus service by keeping designated lanes and stops clear, allowing buses to operate more quickly and reliably.
The expansion is part of the MTA’s broader “Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service” plan, which calls for bringing automated camera enforcement to an additional 25 routes in 2026. With the three new routes, a total of 22 routes will have gone live this year, bringing ACE enforcement to 76 routes citywide.
More than 2,000 buses – approximately one-third of the MTA’s entire bus fleet—are now equipped with ACE cameras. The system covers about 825 route miles and benefits more than one million riders on an average weekday. The newly added Q65, B1 and B6 routes together serve approximately 80,400 weekday riders.
According to the MTA, ACE has helped improve bus speeds across routes where it is active, with some segments recording gains of nearly 30% when camera enforcement is combined with dedicated bus lanes and street improvements. The program has also contributed to reducing traffic accidents and keeping bus stops clear.
The system operates in partnership with the New York City Department of Transportation and the Department of Finance. Cameras on multiple buses capture violations, and video footage, images, license plate information, locations and timestamps are securely transmitted to the Department of Transportation for review by city employees and subsequent processing.
Launched in June 2024, ACE has expanded from a limited number of routes to a citywide program covering all five boroughs. Signs mark corridors where camera enforcement is active.
Some argue that the program can place an unfair financial burden on drivers, particularly those who make brief stops or enter restricted lanes because of confusing street layouts, limited loading areas or difficult traffic conditions.
Some may also question whether camera enforcement prioritizes issuing fines over addressing the underlying causes of congestion, such as inadequate parking and delivery zones.
Others raise concerns about the growing use of automated surveillance and the need for a fair process to challenge violations.
Critics of the MTA’s Automated Camera Enforcement program argue that the expanding system hits working-class New Yorkers, delivery drivers and small-business customers with costly fines in neighborhoods where parking is already scarce. Some drivers say double-parking or briefly stopping is often difficult to avoid when making deliveries or running quick errands, and complain that the penalties can feel excessive.
Critics also point to the shortage of designated loading zones and argue that the city should improve parking and curb access alongside enforcement.
A New York City Comptroller’s report noted that confusing bus-lane hours and exceptions for legal turns, drop-offs and deliveries can undermine the system’s effectiveness.
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