NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7996A
SPONSOR: Rozic TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in
relation to extending, in a city with a population of one million or
more, the bus rapid transit program; to amend part II of chapter 59 of
the laws of 2010, relating to establishing a bus rapid transit demon-
stration program to restrict the use of bus lanes by means of bus lane
photo devices, in relation to the effectiveness date thereof
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill amends the Vehicle and Traffic Law and section 14 of Part II
of chapter 59 of the laws of 2010 to reauthorize the City of New York's
bus rapid transit demonstration program. It would also allow the City to
use bus lane photo devices to help enforce restrictions on the use of
designated bus rapid transit lanes by unauthorized motorists.
REASONS FOR SUPPORT:
New York City has the highest bus ridership in the United States, with
over three million passenger trips made daily. However, New York City
also has the slowest bus speeds in the country, with buses averaging
speeds of under eight miles per hour-and even slower speeds in congested
areas and at busy times of day. To improve bus service, the New York
City Department of Transportation (DOT) partnered with MTA New York City
Transit (NYCT) to collectively design and operate more efficient and
reliable service. By carefully applying certain elements, such as
frequent service, faster fare payment, and dedicated bus lanes, DOT and
NYCT created New York City's version of bus rapid transit, a part of
which is the City's Select Bus Service (SBS).
Since the launch of the first SBS route in 2008, DOT and NYCT have
successfully implemented seven SBS routes in the five boroughs-Fordham
Road, Webster Avenue, 1st and 2nd Avenues, 34th Street, 125th Street to
LaGuardia Airport, Nostrand and Rogers Avenues, and Hylan Boulevard.
These seven SBS corridors carry over 200,000 passengers across the City
daily - providing riders with faster and more reliable service. In the
summer of 2010, New York City was given legislative authorization to
operate a temporary bus rapid transit demonstration program that
utilizes a camera-based bus lane enforcement system, and the City began
operating the system in November 2010.
This program operates in much the same manner as the City's Red Light
Camera Program, which has successfully reduced the incidence of red
light violations. Technology is used to capture photos or videos of
vehicles that are in violation of the City's rules regarding bus lane
restrictions, which specifically restrict motor vehicles' ability to
stand, park or drive within a bus lane. The images are taken and used as
evidence in a proceeding to determine the liability of the owner of the
vehicle. The equipment consists of fixed-location units and mobile units
that can be moved around to various locations. The violations are treat-
ed as the equivalent of a parking ticket; therefore, no points are
assessed against the driver. By using camera-based enforcement we have
seen an average 10% increase in SBS corridor bus ridership and a 15% -
23% improvement in travel time for all SBS riders. However, the legisla-
tive authority for the demonstration program will expire in September
2015 pursuant to a sunset provision in the chapter law that originally
established it.
To ensure the continued success of the bus rapid transit program, it is
essential that designated bus lanes continue to remain free of unauthor-
ized motor vehicles. The current law only allows New York City to use
camera enforcement on five of the seven SBS routes currently in opera-
tion. On two of our routes, 125th Street to LaGuardia Airport and
Webster Avenue in the Bronx, we are unable to use bus lane camera
enforcement. The lack of camera enforcement reduces the effectiveness of
those routes, which are intended to serve as bus rapid transit lanes, as
well as any future rapid transit routes that NYCT and DOT plan to
launch. The proposed legislation would enhance the program's expansion
efforts by adding an additional ten bus lanes that can be camera-en-
forced, as well as a 60 day warning period on new routes. With the City
committing itself to establishing a total of twenty SBS routes by 2018,
it is imperative that the City's bus rapid transit program be expanded,
and that this program be granted continued authority to use a camera-
based enforcement system so as to ensure the unimpaired use of bus rapid
transit lanes by authorized vehicles only. This will, in turn, attract
new ridership, helping to meet the City's mobility, environmental, and
economic opportunity goals.
Accordingly, the Mayor urges the earliest possible favorable consider-
ation of this proposal by the Legislature.
