The Chief-Transit unions secure protections against bus-lane fines

Workers will no longer be ticketed for parking in lanes while working

BY CARTER MYERS-BROWN
For The Chief

A bill supported by TWU Local 106, which represents maintenance line supervisors and bus
dispatchers in the MTA Bus Division, as well as level 2 supervisors in the Department of Subways,
that was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in December mandates that transit workers no longer face fines for parking in city bus lanes during working hours.

Transit workers who park vehicles in bus lanes while performing their jobs will no longer face fines under a new state law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul in mid-December.

The legislation, introduced in the State Assembly in March, amends state vehicle and traffic law to exempt transit employees from bus-lane violations incurred while carrying out official duties including writing accident reports and per-forming maintenance.

Transport Workers Union Local 106, which represents transit maintenance supervisors, documented more than 200 such violations before the bill’s passage. Union President Philip Valenti said the number reflects only a fraction of the tickets issued.

There are hundreds more,” Valenti said, noting that many incidents went untracked and that workers in other unions were similarly affected.

Under the city’s enforcement system, fines were issued based on license plate numbers rather than individual drivers’ licenses. Vehicles with prior violations could be fined up to $250, even if the driver had never previously been ticketed. In these cases, the driver is responsible for paying the fine, despite the fact that the vehicles belong to the MTA itself.

Valenti cited one example involving a bus accident, where a supervisor dispatched a patrol car to complete an accident report. The car was parked in the bus lane behind the disabled bus and later ticketed $250 through the city’s Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) system because the operator did not have a traffic cone on hand that was just one of hundreds,” Valenti said. The ACE program, enacted by the State Assembly in 2023, uses cameras mounted on buses to issue violations to vehicles stopped or double-parked in bus lanes.

Local 106 said the MTA opposed the legislative fix. Union leaders met multiple times with the city Department of Transportation, advising quick solutions such as turning on hazard lights and putting out traffic cones, union leaders said. The DOT ultimately encouraged them to pursue relief through Albany. Jose DeJesus, Local 106’s senior legislative director, led the union’s lobbying effort. The Subway-Surface Supervisors Association, the city’s second largest transit union, also lobby for the bill.

“We are very pleased that following our vigorous lobbying campaign, Governor Hochul has officially signed legislation into law that finally addresses the ‘patently unfair’ practice of ticketing our members while they are performing authorized duties in New York City bus lanes,” SSSA President Michael Carrube said in a statement following the legislation’s passage. “This Bill removes a major ‘undue burden’ that has caused unnecessary stress and financial risk for our members. We thank the Governor for recognizing that an MTA worker shouldn’t have to choose between doing their job and getting hit with punitive fines in the process.”

A spokesperson for the MTA deferred comment to the office of Governor Kathy Hochul. A spokesperson for Hochul did not respond to a request for comment. In April, Local 106 filed a separate lawsuit against the MTA and the New York City Department of Finance seek-ing reimbursement for fines issued to members who parked in bus and bike lanes, or double-parked, while working.

Despite the governor’s signature, the union does not plan to drop the case. Valenti said he expects the MTA to seek its dismissal but intends to continue litigation, arguing that the lawsuit addresses a broader set of penalties than the new law. “The bill mainly covers bus lanes,” Valenti said. The lawsuit has further protections for situations involving bike lanes and double-parking, and it seeks reimbursement for past fines. After years of disputes with the MTA over enforcement, Local 106 maintains that members should be compensated for penalties assessed while they were performing their jobs. Valenti, like Carrube, described the fines as “unfair” and criticized the MTA for failing to protect workers. Still, he welcomed the law’s passage, calling it a win for both employees and riders, who he said stand to benefit from improved efficiency and safety.

“I’m confident it will be enforced,” Valenti said. “But I expect pushback from the MTA.”

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