The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) is exploring innovative solutions to address the persistent issue of drivers blocking dedicated bus lanes in Arlington.
This challenge has been a concern since the introduction of the Crystal City-Potomac Yard Transitway, the region’s first dedicated bus lane route, in 2016.
Despite the significant investment in public transportation, ticketing motorists who infringe on bus lanes has remained largely ineffective without the presence of law enforcement.
Vikram Sinha, a senior program manager for NVTC, noted the importance of enforcement in ensuring the effectiveness of bus lanes, stating, “One of the tricky parts about bus lanes is they don’t work if they’re not enforced.”
To tackle this enforcement issue, Sinha presented various ideas at the NVTC board meeting on July 17.
One significant proposal involves using cameras installed on buses to capture footage of vehicles illegally occupying bus lanes.
Currently, Virginia law prohibits this practice, but similar systems are already in use in Washington, D.C., where bus lane violations are penalized with $100 fines based on camera evidence.
In D.C., a staff member reviews all footage before citations are issued, a model that could inspire legislative changes in Virginia.
This potential strategy hinges on the upcoming elections for governor and House of Delegates, which may influence the possibility of lifting the current prohibition on the use of camera technology for this purpose.
Besides the camera proposal, Sinha emphasized the need for a multi-faceted approach to enhance bus transit efficiency.
One of these methods includes granting traffic signal priority to buses, allowing them to move more smoothly through intersections.
Utilizing sensors mounted on buses could extend green light durations specifically for bus traffic.
This concept is similar to technologies that prioritizing emergency vehicles at traffic signals, a practice already employed in some areas of the region.
For instance, fire trucks and ambulances from Fairfax County can halt all traffic on multiple roads during service calls, thereby improving response times.
Sinha stated, “What we are looking to do is to utilize some of the same technology to benefit the bus. Some of this is already in place.”
Additionally, Sinha introduced the idea of creating more
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