Can I Drop Off or Pick Up Passengers in a Bus Lane?

Yes, but only for the moment a passenger gets in or out. NYC DOT says unauthorized vehicles may enter a bus lane "to quickly drop off or pick up passengers," and "you may stop in a curbside bus lane for the time it takes for a passenger standing at the curb to enter or exit the vehicle and get onto the sidewalk" (NYC DOT bus lane rules). You may not wait in the lane, and you may not stop in a bus stop: bus cameras ticket both.

What is allowed and what is not

DOT's camera-corridor signs say the same thing in short form: keep out of bus lanes "except for allowed right turns and passenger pick-ups or drop offs" (NYC DOT Vision Zero). Bus lanes are marked "Bus Only" and/or painted red, and the posted hours tell you when the lane is in effect. Many curbside lanes have midday hours when normal parking rules apply.

Never block a bus stop

The MTA's bus-mounted cameras (Automated Camera Enforcement, ACE) ticket vehicles that drive, stand or park in a bus lane, stand or stop in a bus stop or block access to it, or double park along a bus route. Fines "start at $50 and increase by $50 for each additional violation received, up to a maximum of $250." New routes start with 60 days of warning notices. The MTA also says quick pickups and drop-offs are allowed in bus lanes, but its page treats a bus stop as off-limits (MTA ACE).

So: a curbside bus lane next to a sidewalk is a possible drop-off spot. The bus stop zone itself is not.

Busways: different hours, same pickup rule

A busway limits through traffic, not passenger stops. DOT's busway pages say:

• 14th Street (Manhattan), 3rd to 9th Avenue, 6 AM–10 PM: only buses, trucks and emergency vehicles may drive through. Other vehicles may make local trips to the curb but "must turn at the next available right." "Passenger vehicles may drop-off and pickup all along the corridor." From 10 PM to 6 AM, all vehicles may drive through (NYC DOT 14th Street).
• Other busways have their own hours: 181st Street 6 AM–8 PM, Jamaica Avenue 6 AM–8 PM, Main Street (Flushing) 6 AM–7 PM, Jay Street 7 AM–7 PM weekdays, and Archer Avenue and Fulton Street (Brooklyn) at all times, where curb access is more limited (NYC DOT Busways).

The full list, with the new Tremont Avenue and planned 34th Street busways, is in bus lanes, busways and ACE cameras.

Who gets the ticket

Bus lane and ACE camera violations are paid or contested through the NYC Department of Finance (MTA), and DOT describes City camera violations as a Notice of Liability sent to the vehicle's registered owner (NYC DOT). If you drive a leased or rented car, your agreement may pass the fine on to you. A police officer can also stop you; DOT's 34th Street page gives NYPD bus lane moving violations as $150 (NYC DOT 34th Street).

What to do next

• Ask the rider to wait at the curb, so the stop takes seconds.
• If you can, follow DOT's advice: pick up "where there is no bus lane – across the street, or on the cross street."
• Never stop inside a bus stop zone, even at night, unless the posted rules allow it.

Check other curbs in the curb sign decoder or the curb rules guide. Related: can I pick up passengers in a No Standing zone, can I double park to pick up a passenger and where are taxis not allowed to cruise. More on the places hub.