WASHINGTON — The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) says it has issued more than 147,000 citations since the start of its Clear Lanes Program.
The Clear Lanes Program is a joint initiative between Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and DDOT. It was launched last November and aims to improve not only bus travel times, but also bus stop safety by using cameras to identify illegally parked and stopped vehicles in dedicated bus lanes and zones. The cameras are mounted to buses along select routes, and are automated to capture violators.
Since the start of the program, DDOT has issued 147,251 citations to drivers in the District. All bus lane and zone fines are $100.
"When vehicles block bus lanes, this slows down everyone because buses must merge into traffic to navigate around the vehicles blocking the bus lane," WMATA says on its website. "In addition, when vehicles block bus stops, operators often have to resort to unsafe practices such as stopping in the middle of the travel lane or pulling up past the bus stop to let passengers on and off the bus."
DDOT says that it has collaborated with WMATA to raise awareness about the program since its launch 10 months ago. That includes two press releases, social media posts and advertising, key messaging on several radio stations, and ads on several buses. It has also painted several lanes red to designate that they are bus only lanes.
District residents can visit the DDOT website to learn more about the Clear Lanes Program and view an interactive map of all dedicated bus lanes and their restrictions.