LA Council Watch

← All files

Bus Lane Violations Enforcement / Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) / Metro / Automated Cameras / AB 917 (Bloom) / NextGen Bus Plan

Council File 21-1224

Under review — the city has collected nearly $20 million from an automated bus lane enforcement program and is now deciding how to spend those revenues, with a proposed plan to restore traffic officer positions and fund street safety projects awaiting Budget Committee approval.

Introduced
2021-10-20
Last changed
2026-05-27
Status
open
Expires
2028-05-22
Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Mover
MIKE BONIN
Second
KEVIN DE LEON
References
Related Council File: 19-0885City Attorney Report: R24-0384

Brief

Councilmembers Bonin and Krekorian's 2021 motion directed LADOT to develop a bus lane enforcement program using automated cameras. After a 2024 MOU with Metro, the M-ABLE Program launched in February 2025 and issued 115,890 citations through December 2025, generating $19.6 million in gross revenue. Council adopted an ordinance in October 2024 and an amended motion in January 2026 directing LADOT to propose a spending plan. LADOT submitted a plan in April 2026 prioritizing restoration of roughly 110 deleted Traffic Officer positions and other departmental staffing, with remaining revenues allocated to Vision Zero, speed humps, and safe infrastructure. The plan now awaits Budget and Finance Committee review.

Full summary

In October 2021, Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Paul Krekorian introduced a motion directing the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to develop a bus lane enforcement program using automated cameras, in coordination with LA County Metro under AB 917 (Bloom) and the NextGen Bus Plan. The program aims to reduce illegal parking and stopping in designated bus lanes and at bus stops, which are a significant source of delay to buses during peak hours. In October 2024, LADOT and Metro executed a Memorandum of Understanding to deploy 100 cameras on Metro buses operating on five city bus routes. LADOT began collecting citation revenue under the program — called the Metro Automated Bus Lane Enforcement (M-ABLE) Program — in February 2025. Between then and December 2025, the program issued 115,890 citations and collected roughly $19.6 million in gross revenue, with Metro billing approximately $3.1 million in reimbursable capital and operating costs. The City Attorney prepared a draft ordinance amending the Los Angeles Municipal Code to establish a base fine and late payment penalties for bus lane violations under California Vehicle Code Section 22500(m). That ordinance was adopted by Council in October 2024 and took effect December 1, 2024. Council also adopted an amended motion in January 2026, directing LADOT to develop a spending plan for program revenues, with priorities including restoring traffic officer positions cut in the FY 2024-25 budget, funding the Speed Hump Program and Paint and Sign Maintenance, investing in safe street infrastructure at the top 50 street takeover locations, and supporting transportation needs for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In April 2026, LADOT General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo submitted a proposed spending plan recommending that citation revenues first be used to restore roughly 110 deleted Traffic Officer and supervisor positions (estimated at $5.4 million), then to reinstate 13 eliminated Parking Enforcement communications staff (approximately $1 million), and then to support ongoing program operations and expansion. The plan also proposed dedicating up to 8% of annual revenues to Vision Zero and Safe Routes to Schools projects, 3% to the Speed Hump Program, and 3% to safe street infrastructure at high-risk locations. LADOT noted it is separately developing a camera enforcement program for the city's DASH buses. Metro is also in early planning to expand camera enforcement to approximately 300 additional buses. State authorization for the program runs through January 1, 2027, though AB 1837 (Gonzalez) has been introduced to extend it indefinitely. The file has moved through the Transportation Committee and full Council in several rounds since 2021, with multiple neighborhood councils submitting community impact statements. As of May 2026, the Transportation Committee transmitted the LADOT spending plan report to the Budget and Finance Committee, where it currently remains pending.

Activity (54)

  • 2026-05-27 Transportation Committee noted and filed item(s).
  • 2026-05-27 Transportation Committee transmitted Council File to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-05-22 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on May 27, 2026.
  • 2026-05-12 Community Impact Statement submitted by North Westwood Neighborhood Council.
  • 2026-04-08 Department of Transportation document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee; Transportation Committee.
  • 2026-04-08 Document submitted by Department of Transportation, dated April 7, 2026.
  • 2026-01-16 Council action final.
  • 2026-01-14 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2026-01-09 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 14, 2026.
  • 2025-12-02 Budget and Finance Committee approved as amended .
  • 2025-11-26 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on December 2, 2025.
  • 2025-05-19 Community Impact Statement submitted by Westwood Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-12-16 Council action final.
  • 2024-12-13 Council rereferred item to Budget and Finance Committee, pursuant to Council Action of December 13, 2024, Council File No. 24-2000.
  • 2024-12-13 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2024-12-10 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on December 13, 2024.
  • 2024-11-20 Transportation Committee approved as amended .
  • 2024-11-15 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on November 20, 2024.
  • 2024-11-14 Department of Transportation document(s) referred to Transportation Committee.
  • 2024-11-13 Document(s) submitted by Department of Transportation, as follows:Department of Transportation report, dated November 13, 2024, relative to the progress of the bus lane enforcement program and a Resolution.
  • 2024-10-22 Ordinance posted/published. Ordinance effective date: December 1, 2024.
  • 2024-10-17 Council action final.
  • 2024-10-09 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is October 21, 2024.
  • 2024-10-08 Council adopted Motion (Rodriguez - Krekorian) to refer Amending Motion 22A(Hernandez - Raman) and Amending Motion 22B (Park - Hutt) to the Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee, and adopted the Transportation Committee Report and Ordinance, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2024-10-04 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on October 8, 2024.
  • 2024-09-18 Transportation Committee approved as amended .
  • 2024-09-17 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 18, 2024.
  • 2024-09-04 Community Impact Statement submitted by North Westwood Neighborhood Council.
  • 2024-08-07 Transportation Committee continued item to a date to be determined.
  • 2024-08-02 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on August 7, 2024.
  • 2024-08-01 Department of Transportation document(s) referred to Transportation Committee.
  • 2024-07-31 Document(s) submitted by Department of Transportation, as follows:Department of Transportation report, dated July 29, 2024, relative to an overview of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to use cameras to enforce parking violations in bus lanes and bus stops.
  • 2024-07-25 City Attorney document(s) referred to Transportation Committee.
  • 2024-07-25 Document(s) submitted by Los Angeles City Planning Commission, as follows:City Attorney report R24-0384, dated July 25, 2024, relative to a draft Ordinance amending Los Angeles Municipal Code Chapter VIII, Article 1, Section 89.60, to establish a base fine and late payment penalties for a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 22500(m).
  • 2023-04-03 Community Impact Statement submitted by Venice Neighborhood Council.
  • 2023-01-20 Council action final.
  • 2023-01-18 Council adopted item, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
  • 2023-01-13 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on January 18, 2023.
  • 2022-11-17 Community Impact Statement submitted by Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.
  • 2022-11-01 Transportation Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2022-10-28 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on November 1, 2022.
  • 2022-09-30 Transportation Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on October 6, 2022.
  • 2022-09-30 Department of Transportation document(s) referred to Transportation Committee.
  • 2022-09-29 Document(s) submitted by Department of Transportation, as follows:Department of Transportation report, dated September 29, 2022, relative to a camera bus lane enforcement program.
  • 2022-03-23 Community Impact Statement submitted by NoHo Neighborhood Council.
  • 2022-03-17 Community Impact Statement submitted by South Robertson Neighborhood Council.
  • 2021-12-28 Community Impact Statement submitted by South Robertson Neighborhood Council.
  • 2021-12-14 Community Impact Statement submitted by Mid City WEST Neighborhood Council.
  • 2021-11-19 Community Impact Statement submitted by Los Feliz Neighborhood Council,Los Feliz Neighborhood Council.
  • 2021-11-10 Council action final.
  • 2021-11-09 Council adopted item forthwith.
  • 2021-11-05 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on November 9, 2021.
  • 2021-11-02 Transportation Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2021-10-20 Motion referred to Transportation Committee.

Documents (69)

Council votes (1)

  • 2026-01-14 Vote — 12-0-3 · Regular

View on CFMS →