By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Motorists who enter bus lanes along First and Second avenues won't have something to smile about when they're caught on camera and slapped with $115 fines.
The city will begin enforcing bus lane rules on Monday along the East Side avenues using cameras, the MTA said in a statement.
The move comes a month after the city launched its new "Select Bus Service" program, which it says has reduced travel times by more than 15 minutes on both routes, despite initial complaints of delays.
"The city's 2.8 million bus riders have been held hostage for far too long by motorists who routinely block bus lanes, and these cameras will send a clear message that bus lanes are for buses only," MTA head Jay Walder said in a statement.
Five cameras have been installed along First and Second, with more to come, the MTA said. The city also plans to install enforcement cameras along 34th Street in 2011.
Vehicles seen traveling in or blocking the lanes by the Department of Transportation will be saddled with $115 fines.
