You could soon get hit with a ticket for parking in LA bus lanes or bus stops

Drivers parked in bus lanes or bus stops on some L.A. streets could be hit with a $293 ticket starting Monday.

The pilot program, known as the Bus Lane Enforcement Program, is a partnership between L.A. Metro and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT).

 Anthony Crump, Metro's executive officer for community relations, told LAist the goal is to boost speed and reliability for the 700,000 bus rides taken every weekday in L.A. County.

“ Ideally, we would give zero citations out,” he said. “In fact, the perfect scenario would be that everyone hears about the program and suddenly stops parking or obstructing bus lanes and bus stops throughout the area.”

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What you need to know

The program started last November with an introductory and outreach period.

Drivers who were illegally parked in bus lanes or bus stops were given warnings, but it’ll actually cost you come next week.

“ I think there's a learning curve on both ends,” Crump said. “One, we're fine tuning the equipment itself. We're also trying to change driver behavior.”

Metro has installed 50 cameras in select buses on lines 720 and 212, which run along Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue.

One camera scans the area to look for stopped vehicles while the second camera captures the driver and license plate. An LADOT traffic officer will review the images before issuing a ticket.

Janice Hahn, L.A. County Supervisor and chair of the Metro Board of Directors, said in a statement that it’s not fair that a single car can hold up a busload of people.

“Those riders deserve to reach their destinations safely and on time,” she said.

The partnership between the agencies has already improved service for the thousands of people who rely on public transit, according to Laura Rubio-Cornejo, LADOT general manager.

LADOT did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for an interview.

What’s next

The program is tentatively expected to move into Phase 2 next month.

The agencies will install dozens more cameras on buses along lines 910 and 950. Those serve the Silver line and line 70, which covers all of Grand Avenue, according to Crump.

And he noted that Los Angeles is not alone in this effort.

“A lot of cities, particularly in the West Coast, are beginning to implement AI or artificial intelligence solutions to transportation issues,” he said. “So this is a preview of what's going to be taking place in the future, and it's going to be expanding across the country as well as the world.”