After months of postponed enforcement, drivers in D.C. will be fined $100 starting Jan. 29 for illegally driving, parking, standing, or stopping in bus lanes. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced the new enforcement date Wednesday.

The fine is the second phase of DDOT and Metro’s Clear Lanes program, which aims to speed up Metrobus travel times and improve road safety by ensuring dedicated bus lanes remain clear. It follows an initial $100 fine that went into effect in November for drivers illegally parking, standing, or stopping in a bus zone – an area around a bus stop along the curb (specifically, within 80 feet of the side where the bus comes in and within 20 feet of the side the bus would leave). Bus lanes are usually marked by red paint and signage and often active for only certain parts of the day (as indicated by signage).

Fines for both bus zones and lanes were previously expected to go into effect in September 2023. DDOT told DCist/WAMU at the time that it was “finalizing operations” with WMATA but did not specify why the fines were pushed back. Drivers have been receiving warnings instead and will continue to receive warnings till Monday.

The $100 fine for illegally using bus lanes was also supposed to be much steeper – $200 – but DDOT cut down the fine due to concerns that it was too high.

DDOT will enforce the rules through the use of bus-mounted cameras, which were installed last year and capture footage of drivers who are illegally using the bus lanes and zones. The city already has an extensive network of cameras that catch drivers for other traffic and safety violations, like running red lights and speeding.

The Clear Lanes program is the first in the country to use automated bus-mounted cameras to enforce bus lane restrictions. D.C. transportation officials have touted the program as one that will “improve service” for more than 60% of Metrobus riders.

“We are excited about the start of the second phase of this program,” Interim DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum said. “Our goal with the Clear Lanes program is to demonstrate our commitment to strengthening our transportation network and helping residents who use public transportation get across the city faster and more efficiently.”

Authorized vehicles for bus zones include public transit buses, school buses, and maintenance vehicles, which DDOT says are D.C. or Metro vehicles that are actively making repairs. For bus lanes, authorized vehicles include bikes, scooters, public transit buses, tour buses, school buses, streetcars, maintenance vehicles, emergency vehicles, and accessible transportation service vehicles.

There are some exceptions where drivers of unauthorized vehicles can use bus zones and lanes. Drivers can pull over in bus lanes for emergency vehicles, use the lanes to enter a legal parking space, or turn within 40 feet of an intersection or driveway (drivers should look out for signage and dashed red road markings). Drivers can use bus-only zones if necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic.