S 2559 — Concerns parking violations that obstruct NJT bus stop zones; establishes pilot program for parking violations that obstruct certain bicycle lanes.*

S2559 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      IntroducedAs Pendingreported Technicalby Reviewthe bySenate LegislativeTransportation Counsel.Committee on May 11, 2026, with amendments.

       1.    As used in P.L.    , c.    (C.         through1[through C.        )C.        ]1) (pending before the Legislature as this bill):       “Access Link” means the paratransit service implemented by the corporation for purposes of complying with the “Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,” Pub.L.101-336 (42 U.S.C.

     1“Commission” means the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.1      “Corporation” means the New Jersey Transit Corporation.

       2.    a.  The New Jersey Transit Corporation shall issue citations for a covered violation resulting from recorded images.

A1[A designateddesignated] An officer with the New Jersey Transit Police Department, or an1 employee of the corporation,corporation 1[, or a contracted law enforcement agency,agency] that has been designated, trained, and certified by the New Jersey Transit Police Department to review citations for covered violations1, shall review the recorded images to determine whether a covered violation has occurred.occurred.  The corporation shall install and operate bus obstruction monitoring systems on buses owned or operated by the corporation or operated under contract with the corporation to capture recorded images of motor vehicles during the commission of a covered violation and to issue citations for covered violations.  The number of buses equipped with bus obstruction monitoring systems, as well as the selection of routes and deployment locations, shall be determined by the corporation based on a cost-benefit analysis, anticipated impact on motorbus regular route service efficiency, safety and rider accessibility, predicted violation frequency, and overall operational feasibility.

The corporation shall install and operate bus obstruction monitoring systems on buses owned or operated by the corporation or operated under contract with the corporation to capture recorded images of motor vehicles during the commission of a covered violation and to issue citations for covered violations.  The number of buses equipped with bus obstruction monitoring systems, as well as the selection of routes and deployment locations, shall be determined by the corporation based on a cost-benefit analysis, anticipated impact on motorbus regular route service efficiency, safety and rider accessibility, predicted violation frequency, and overall operational feasibility.

       5.    a.  A citation issued by a bus obstruction monitoring system for a covered violation may be contested on the grounds that:that:       (1)   the motor vehicle was a transit vehicle owned, operated, leased, or contracted for by the corporation or by a local or county transportation agency;

     (1)(2)   the motor vehicle was a transitschool vehiclebus; owned, operated, leased, or contracted for by the corporation or by a local or county transportation agency;

     (2)(3)   the motor vehicle was aan schoolauthorized bus;emergency vehicle operating on official business or in the exercise of the driver’s profession, including in response to an emergency call or while pursuing an actual or suspected violator of the law;

     (3)(4)   the motor vehicle was anowned authorizedor emergencyoperated vehicleby operatinga onfederal, officialstate, businesscounty, or inlocal thegovernment exerciseagency ofand thewas driver’sengaged profession, including in responseofficial toduties anat emergencythe calltime or while pursuing an actual or suspected violator of the law;alleged covered violation;

     (4)(5)   the motor vehicle was ownedparked, stopped, or operatedstanding bydue to a federal,medical state,emergency county, or localmechanical governmentbreakdown agency and wasthe engagedowner inprovides officialproof dutiesdocumenting at the timeclaim; of the alleged covered violation;

     (5)(6)   the motor vehicle was parked,providing stopped,transportation orrelated standing due to athe medicalprovision emergencyof orfuneral mechanicalservices breakdown and the owner provides proof documenting the claim;

     (6)(7)   the motor vehicle was providingreported transportationstolen relatedat to the provisiontime of funeralthe servicescovered andviolation, theas ownerdocumented providesby proofa documentingpolice thereport; claim;

or      (7)(8)   thea motorcitation vehicle was reportedpreviously stolenissued atby thea timelocal of1law enforcement agency or1 parking authority for the same covered violation, asthe documentedfine byassociated awith policethe report;covered violation has been paid, and the owner or operator submits proof of payment to the corporation.

or      (8)b.    aAn citationowner wasor previouslyoperator issuedshall byhave a30 localcalendar parkingdays authorityfrom for the samedate coveredof violation,mailing of the finecitation associatedto withcontest the alleged covered violation has1to been paid, and the ownercorporation orpursuant operator submits proof of payment to thesubsection corporation.a.

    of b.   this Ansection1.  ownerA citation may be contested through the corporation’s Internet website, by mail, or operatorby shallrequesting havea 30hearing calendarin daysaccordance fromwith procedures established by 1rules and regulations adopted by1 the datecorporation of1in mailingaccordance with the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.).  After reviewing a contested citation, the corporation shall send a copy of its final decision to the registered owner contesting the citation with instructions for the registered owner’s options to contesteither pay the allegedfine coveredor violation.appeal the corporation’s decision.

A     citationc.     mayA beregistered contestedowner throughcontesting the corporation’s Internet website, by mail, or by requesting a hearingcitation inpursuant accordanceto withsubsection proceduresa. established by the corporation.

of this section may appeal a final decision issued by the corporation pursuant to subsection b.

of this section to the New Jersey Superior Court1.

     b.    If an owner or operator is found to be in violation of P.L.    , c.    (C.        )P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) by means of a bus obstruction monitoring system, a fine of $45 shall be imposed for the first offense.offense.  Subsequent violations within any 12-month period from the date of the first offense shall increase by $45, with a maximum fine of up to $135.

Subsequent If violationsno withinfurther anyviolations 12-monthoccur periodwithin from1[the] thea1 date12-month ofperiod, the firstfine offensestructure shall increasereset. by $45, with a maximum fine of up to $135.

 If For nothe furtherpurposes violationsof occurcalculating withinsubsequent fines, the 12-monthnumber period,of thecovered fineviolations structureshall be associated with a motor vehicle’s registration number and shall reset.not be associated with the identity of the operator.

For the purposes of calculating subsequent fines, the number of covered violations shall be associated with a motor vehicle's registration number and shall not be associated with the identity of the operator.

     d.    The1If corporationan mayowner retainor anyoperator fineshas collectedfailed pursuant to thispay sectionthree toor covermore the administrative costs of administering the bus obstruction monitoring system program.  Any excess revenue from fines collectedissued pursuant to thissubsection sectionb. shall be used to fund Access Link services.

    of e.    this Thesection, the corporation shallmay notnotify enterthe intoNew anyJersey agreementMotor forVehicle busCommission obstructionin monitoringa systemsform orand busmanner obstructionprescribed monitoringby system operator services that bases contractor compensation on the amountcommission. of revenue generated in monetary fines collected pursuant to this section.

     Upon f.    receiving Priorsuch tonotice, issuingthe anycommission citationsmay orsuspend fines for covered violations pursuant to this section, the corporationdriver’s shalllicense, issueor only warning notices for a period of 60 days beginning on the dateregistration of implementation of active enforcement pursuant to P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislaturemotor asvehicle, this bill).  The corporation shall issue a public announcement regarding the corporation’s implementation of thean busowner obstructionor monitoringoperator systemwho andhas shallnot providepaid theor publicotherwise withsatisfied informationthree aboutor themore busfines obstructionissued monitoringpursuant systemto programsubsection onb. the corporation’s Internet website contemporaneous with the warning notice period.

 of     this 7.   section.  TheHowever, Newafter Jerseyissuing Transitsuch Corporationnotice, shallif submitthe anfines annualare reportsubsequently topaid theor Governorif and,the pursuantcase tois sectiondismissed 2or ofotherwise P.L.1991,disposed c.164of, (C.52:14-19.1),the tocorporation theshall Legislaturepromptly regardingnotify the corporation’scommission implementation of bus obstruction monitoring systems.  At a minimum, the reportsubsequent shallpayment, includedismissal, the:or disposal.

     a.    e.1   totalThe numbercorporation ofmay citationsretain issuedany underfines thecollected programpursuant forto thatthis year,section brokento downcover bythe administrative costs of administering the bus routeobstruction andmonitoring violationsystem type;program.  Any excess revenue from fines collected pursuant to this section shall be used to fund Access Link services.

     b.   1[e.] amountf.1      ofThe revenuecorporation generatedshall fromnot fineenter collectionsinto underany theagreement program for thatbus yearobstruction andmonitoring thesystems allocationor of the revenue, broken down by bus routeobstruction andmonitoring violationsystem type,operator andservices     that c.    bases impactcontractor compensation on busthe serviceamount efficiencyof including,revenue butgenerated not limited to, average travel speed, schedule adherence, reduction in delaysmonetary andfines safetycollected improvementspursuant atto designatedthis enforcementsection. locations, illegal parking, and traffic congestion.

     1[f.  Prior to issuing any citations or fines for covered violations pursuant to this section, the corporation shall issue only warning notices for a period of 60 days beginning on the date of implementation of active enforcement pursuant to P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).] g.1  The 1corporation shall implement the bus obstruction monitoring system program as follows:       (1)   For a period of 180 days beginning on the date of implementation of the bus obstruction monitoring system program, the1 corporation shall 1[issue] conduct1 a public 1[announcement] education and awareness campaign1 regarding the corporation’s implementation of the bus obstruction monitoring system 1[and] program.  The campaign shall include, but not be limited to, bus exterior advertising, web-based and social media outreach, and press events.  The corporation1 shall 1also1 provide the public with information about the bus obstruction monitoring system program on the corporation’s Internet website 1[contemporaneous with the warning notice period] commencing at the start of the implementation of the program;

and      (2)   Prior to issuing any citations or fines for covered violations pursuant to this section, the corporation shall issue only warning notices for a period of 90 days, which period shall begin 90 days after the date of implementation of the bus obstruction system program1.

       7.    The New Jersey Transit Corporation shall submit an annual report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature regarding the corporation’s implementation of bus obstruction monitoring systems.  At a minimum, the report shall include the:       a.     total number of citations issued under the program for that year, broken down by bus route and violation type;

     b.    amount of revenue generated from fine collections under the program for that year and the allocation of the revenue, broken down by bus route and violation type 1[,] ;1 and      c.     impact on bus service efficiency including, but not limited to, average travel speed, schedule adherence, reduction in delays and safety improvements at designated enforcement locations, illegal parking, and traffic congestion.

    STATEMENT        This bill requires the New Jersey Transit Corporation (corporation) to issue citations for covered violations as evidenced by recorded images captured by bus obstruction monitoring systems.

The bill requires a designated employee of the corporation or a contracted law enforcement agency to review recorded images for covered violations.

The corporation is required to install and operate bus obstruction monitoring systems on buses owned and operated by the corporation, or operated under contract with the corporation, to capture recorded images of motor vehicles during the commission of a covered violation and to issue citations for covered violations.

The number of buses to be equipped with bus obstruction monitoring systems is to be determined by the corporation.

Under the bill, a bus obstruction monitoring system may only be used if it is operated by a bus obstruction monitoring system operator and a sign is affixed to the bus alerting drivers that the bus is equipped with a bus obstruction monitoring system.

     Under the bill, a bus obstruction monitoring system is to only retain recorded images of motor vehicles that contain evidence of a covered violation.  Recorded images from a bus obstruction monitoring system may be retained for up to six months or 60 days after final disposition of the citation, whichever is later, if the record images contain evidence of a covered violation.  If the recorded images do not contain evidence of a covered violation, the recorded images are required to be destroyed within 15 days after the recorded images were first captured.  Recorded images are to be stored on secured servers or encrypted digital storage systems that meet or exceed State information security standards established by the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.  Recorded images are not deemed a government record and are not to be discoverable as a government record by any person, entity, or governmental agency, except upon a subpoena issued by a grand jury or a court order in a criminal matter.