You were ticketed for parking or standing in a bus lane, not at a bus stop. Both tickets are parking tickets with (most likely) the same fines. The difference is that in most central urban areas, including Manhattan and Chicago's loop area, the major streets have curbside bus lanes. The usual configuration for a (typically one-way) street with a BL is to have all curbside parking and loading zones on the left hand side of the roadway, then two or three lanes of traffic, and then the curbside buses only lane on the right side. Bus stops are still only at designated corners, but the bus travels in the bus lane, which serves to seperate buses that make frequent stops from other thru traffic, and also allows the buses to avoid having to weave around parked cars after every stop thereby improving traffic flow in these heavily congested areas. It is typically illegal (and hazardous) not only to park, but to stand or stop in a bus lane for any length of time (ie no stopping no standing no parking anytime signs are posted) and even if the parking restriction signs are not posted, as long as the road is labeled as a bus lane by lane striping [ie large white diamond shape and solid white double white, or white and red line(s) between lanes] and traffic signs, it is your responsibility as a driver to keep out of the bus lane, and you can still be ticketed and towed if parked there. The absolute only time you can use a bus lane is within 150 to 200 feet of an intersection (where the lane striping will typically be broken) to make a right-hand turn. Driving in a bus lane is a moving violation as well. Right now Chicago is even using cameras mounted on the buses themselves to nab loop bus lane violators to the tune of a $90 parking ticket in the mail. Hope that clarifies slightly. | 
05-19-2005, 12:39 PM
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