L.A. Council votes on spending plan for bus lane parking tickets

Now that the Los Angeles City Council has installed 50 cameras on bus lanes, it has voted on a spending plan for the money collected from ticketing drivers who park or block bus stops and lanes. 

On Wednesday, the council voted 12-0 to direct the Department of Transportation to come up with a plan. Tentatively, the motion calls for money to support more traffic officers, paint and signage maintenance crews, speed humps, and tools to address the top 50 locations where street takeovers occur, as well as measures to improve pedestrian safety.

Drivers who illegally park in designated bus lanes or bus stops can receive a $293 ticket. The aim of the program is to reduce delays for bus riders.

The motion called for a percentage of revenue to go toward transportation improvements and temporary staffing for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Lastly, city staff will also consider using revenue to further the Bus Lane Enforcement Program.

Council members Bob Blumenfield, Imelda Padilla and Katy Yaroslavsky were absent during the vote.

In 2025, Los Angeles Metro and the city's Department of Transportation implemented an enforcement program on bus lines 730, serving Wilshire Boulevard, and 212, along La Brea Avenue.

A total of 50 cameras were installed on buses serving bus lines 720 and 212.

One camera can detect vehicles on roads and traffic lanes. When the camera detects a parked vehicle, the second camera records the license plate. A traffic officer then reviews the video and verifies its accuracy before issuing a ticket. Citations detail information about the violation, time, location and images or video evidence.

The two agencies later installed cameras on buses serving lines 910 and 950, as well as line 70, which provides service on Olive Street/Grand Avenue.

The program is estimated to collect more than $5 million annually to the city.

Additional reporting by City News Service.