City Seizes 1 lane and makes it a Bus Lane

[sefnfot]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

Is it legal for a city to confiscate a lane from the public and give it to a private entity? There used to be 3 lanes that were a pleasure to drive on. Now there are 2 lanes in this section of street.

I encountered the bus lane on Wilshire Blvd between Comstock Ave and Beverly Hills in March 2015. I was flabbergasted because the car traffic was backed up all the way from Beverly Hills to Comstock Ave. This road is usually traffic free and is a major artery road that enables drivers to reduce stress and traffic time. But now it has been turned into a traffic nightmare, like the rest of the Los Angeles congested traffic.

 

[Shadowbunny]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

Is it legal for a city to confiscate a lane from the public and give it to a private entity? There used to be 3 lanes that were a pleasure to drive on. Now there are 2 lanes in this section of street.

I encountered the bus lane on Wilshire Blvd between Comstock Ave and Beverly Hills in March 2015. I was flabbergasted because the car traffic was backed up all the way from Beverly Hills to Comstock Ave. This road is usually traffic free and is a major artery road that enables drivers to reduce stress and traffic time. But now it has been turned into a traffic nightmare, like the rest of the Los Angeles congested traffic.

Is this a lane the MTA uses? If so, it's not a private entity - it's a gov't entity.

 

[HighwayMan]

Firstly this has nothing to do with traffic/moving violations.

Secondly, it's a city street that's being used for public travel - and the riders of the buses in question are members of the public. What entity is operating the buses in question?

 

[sefnfot]

Firstly this has nothing to do with traffic/moving violations.

Secondly, it's a city street that's being used for public travel - and the riders of the buses in question are members of the public. What entity is operating the buses in question?

I have driven in the lane out of protest, so I am asking as a violator, but I wasn't sure where else to get the right info on this. Should I ask this question in another section I don't mind if it is moved to another section?
I read that a citation on this violation will not be printed on the ticket, but will be decided by a judge.
It is the MTA, but the city is taking property away from the major public.

 

[Mnemosyne]

I have driven in the lane out of protest, so I am asking as a violator, but I wasn't sure where else to get the right info on this. Should I ask this question in another section I don't mind if it is moved to another section?
I read that a citation on this violation will not be printed on the ticket, but will be decided by a judge.
It is the MTA, but the city is taking property away from the major public.

In fact, buses carry more people than cars on Wilshire.

 

[Silverplum]

I have driven in the lane out of protest, so I am asking as a violator, but I wasn't sure where else to get the right info on this. Should I ask this question in another section I don't mind if it is moved to another section?
I read that a citation on this violation will not be printed on the ticket, but will be decided by a judge.
It is the MTA, but the city is taking property away from the major public.

You sound like loads of fun.

 

[HighwayMan]

I read that a citation on this violation will not be printed on the ticket, but will be decided by a judge.

Can anyone translate this for me?

 

[CdwJava]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CA

Is it legal for a city to confiscate a lane from the public and give it to a private entity?

The city has every right to designate lanes for mass transit only. We see it on other cities where trolleys and buses are given preferential lanes as well.

Oh, and the Metro is not a "private entity." It's not like they are allowing employees of ABC Corporation sole use of a lane, they appear to be allowing the lane to be exclusively used by Metro buses. You are certainly free to argue this with the Metro board or the LA City Council. But, given the ever-expanding push to expand and encourage public transit, I doubt you are going to get any real headway unless a great number of commuters like yourself are angry at this new change.

 

[CdwJava]

I have driven in the lane out of protest, so I am asking as a violator,

And when you get a $200+ ticket, what do you intend to do?

I admire your chutzpah and willingness to go down for your belief, but, you are not going to get a platform in a grand public forum in which you can air your grievances. This will be an infraction handled in Traffic Court with dozens of other cases in the same short block of time, so, your opportunity to stand upon a soapbox will be effectively nil.

If cited, have your checkbook handy.

I read that a citation on this violation will not be printed on the ticket, but will be decided by a judge.

Where did you read this?

As i am not familiar with the specific authority under which these preferential lanes will be operating, I cannot say whether it will be the Vehicle Code or the Municipal Code under which the citation will be issued. Either way, the violation would be on the citation you receive.

It is the MTA, but the city is taking property away from the major public.

No, they are merely designating a lane for preferential use. Heck, they could remove the lane entirely if they wanted to. They could make it a pedestrian lane, or a bike lane, or plant a garden in it if they wanted to.

 

[sefnfot]

Can anyone translate this for me?

This is a summary of the story with the title from the newspaper listed. This is what I was referring to.
Wilshire Bus Rapid Transit Lanes Striped and Signed – Tickets Next?
Julie Grist , LARCHMONTBUZZ January 26, 2015

The right, curb lane, now smoothly paved and striped, is to be a dedicated bus-only lane during the hours of 7-9 am, and 4-7 pm, Mondays through Fridays. Drivers are only allowed to enter the lane when making right turns on to side streets at the dotted line segment during the specific hours. Bicycles are allowed any time so we may see an increase in cyclists along the busy corridor.

We called LAPD’s West Traffic Division to find out what the fine will be for drivers not heeding the new rush hour lane rules. The LAPD spokesperson there said the fines are determined by the LA court system (Metropolitan Court downtown in this case) and that the officers who write tickets do not know what the fine will be.

 

[cbg]

You're only getting around to that now in California?

We've had a a carpool-only lane on the interstate leading into Boston for years now. Same general idea. A bit behind the times, are you, over there in the left coast?

Perfectly legal, dude. Suck it up. Or take the bus.

 

[sefnfot]

isn't there some law that doesn't allow someone to take away a public thoroughfare away from the public?
This street ( all 6 lanes ) has been used by the major public for at least 40 years... now it is a parking lot since the congestion is so bad.
as an example, at the CBS studios in LA, there used to be an alley street that ran through the middle of this private property. When they finally closed the alley and made it solely private, they were required to create another street about 100 feet that replaced the public thoroughfare which they took away.

 

[CdwJava]

isn't there some law that doesn't allow someone to take away a public thoroughfare away from the public?

There are laws against a gift of public funds to private entities ... the Metro is NOT a private entity - it is there to serve the public.

This street ( all 6 lanes ) has been used by the major public for at least 40 years... now it is a parking lot since the congestion is so bad.

You're lucky. In some cities they simply divert traffic to make room for buses and pedestrian and closing off entire swathes of roadways that used to be for vehicular traffic (happened in my old city of San Jose) and even in my adopted home town of Sacramento.

 

[Silverplum]

You're only getting around to that now in California?

We've had a a carpool-only lane on the interstate leading into Boston for years now. Same general idea. A bit behind the times, are you, over there in the left coast?

Perfectly legal, dude. Suck it up. Or take the bus.

In the Denver metropolitan area, also, for years and years.

California is so backward and slow.

 

[CdwJava]

Nah, they did something like this in San Jose a quarter century ago and also in Sacramento. L.A. simply appears to be delayed.