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NYC DOT & MTA Bus Lane Rules • Verified against official NYC sources

NYC Bus Lanes:
Can You Park in One?

Short answer: no — not during operating hours. But the hours aren't what most drivers think, the red paint doesn't mean what most drivers think, and the cameras fine differently than officers do.

The rule

No driving, parking, or standing — during operating hours

Prohibited
  • Parking or standing in the lane during operating hours
  • Driving through the lane to skip traffic
  • Waiting in the lane “just for a minute”
  • Loading or unloading packages in the lane
Allowed
  • Brief stop for a passenger at the curb to enter/exit, including their trunk items
  • Entering the lane to make the next available right turn (enter toward the end of the block)
  • Driving or parking in the lane outside its posted operating hours

Hours are per-corridor — read the sign

There is no citywide bus lane schedule. Each corridor's signage states the hours the lane is operable — and some, like the Jamaica and Archer Avenue busways, run 24/7. The sign on your block is the entire law: if you're unsure of the hours, treat the lane as enforced.

Red paint is just paint

NYC DOT paints bus lanes terracotta red purely for visibility — to make the lane obvious and deter unauthorized use. The paint creates no separate legal category and doesn't mean 24/7. An unpainted lane with posted signs is enforced exactly the same as a red one.

The fines

$115 from an officer — up to $250 from a camera

Officer-issued: $115 in Manhattan, $95 elsewhere

Standing or parking in a bus lane (violation code 18) is $115 in Manhattan at/below 96th Street and $95 elsewhere.

Camera-enforced: $50 → $250

MTA/NYC DOT bus-lane cameras escalate fast: $50 for the first offense, then $100, $150, $200, and $250 for repeat offenses within 12 months. The camera doesn't care that you were “just dropping someone off.”

Making a right turn? Enter the bus lane only toward the end of the block for the next available turn — cruising the lane for two blocks to reach your turn is a violation.
Avoid it automatically

Spotto warns you before the lane does

Spotto maps NYC bus lane corridors and alerts you when you're stopped in or near an active lane — before a camera or an officer turns a 30-second stop into a $115 (or $250) lesson.

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