Starting Monday, if you're caught driving in D.C.'s bus-only lanes illegally, you could face a $100 fine. Cameras installed on certain Metrobuses will film drivers who break the rule.
DDOT says it’s an effort to keep bus lanes clearer, help buses move faster and ease congestion.
“Drivers illegally driving, parking, standing, or stopping in a bus lane” may be fined, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) said.
The cameras on buses would take video of a car that's violating the rule, then send that info to DDOT, which will then send that driver a ticket.
According to a DDOT press release, unauthorized drivers can only enter the lanes to:
- Enter a legal parking space
- Pull over for emergency vehicles
- Turn within 40 feet of an intersection or driveway (or as otherwise signed), as typically marked by signage or dashed red road markings.
Bikes, e-bikes, and scooters; emergency vehicles and some other registered vehicles on official business are still allowed to use the lanes.
Transportation
Reporter Adam Tuss and the News4 team are covering you down on the roads and in transit.
Bus lanes are marked with red paint. Many of D.C.’s bus lanes are off-limits only during specific time periods and days of the week. Signs near the bus lanes list when drivers are banned from using them. Here’s a map showing the bus lanes and when they're in effect.
Drivers are set to be notified of the violation by mail. You can also look up your vehicle on the DDOT website.
The new fines are part of D.C.’s Clear Lanes program, which the District rolled out last year. Fines for drivers who illegally used bus zones – the area around bus stops – began with phase one in November.
