HB638: HB638 MARTA; prohibit stopping or parking of a motor vehicle other than a transit vehicle in a designated transit vehicle lane in the City of Atlanta

Currently there is no specific state law banning ordinary cars from stopping or parking in the dedicated transit vehicle lanes used by MARTA buses in Atlanta. This bill adds a new section to Georgia's MARTA law (O.C.G.A. § 32-9-25) that makes it illegal for any vehicle other than a transit vehicle to stop or park in a marked transit lane in the city, unless a traffic sign, an emergency, or another law allows it. Violators caught by a police officer face misdemeanor fines rising from $50 to $150 for repeat offenses, with the first fine waived if the driver completes an online safety course. The bill also lets the city use automated camera systems to issue civil penalties by mail, following detailed notice, appeal, and privacy rules, and requires warning signs near monitored lanes. For the first six months after a lane is designated, violations only draw a warning. The whole section automatically repeals on January 1, 2030.

• Makes it illegal to stop or park a motor vehicle other than a transit vehicle in a designated MARTA transit lane in Atlanta, unless allowed by signage, emergency, or other law.
• Sets misdemeanor fines for officer-issued citations of up to $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second, and $150 for a third, with a safety course option to waive the first fine.
• Authorizes automated camera devices to photograph violations and issue civil monetary penalties by mail to vehicle owners, capped at the same $50/$100/$150 scale plus limited processing and late fees.
• Requires warning signs near camera-monitored lanes, sets strict rules for notice, appeals, record destruction, and privacy of recorded images, and bars agents from keeping a cut of penalties.
• Directs that camera penalty revenue collected by the city be sent to MARTA (the authority) to fund public safety initiatives.
• Limits enforcement to warnings only for the first six months after a lane is designated, and repeals the entire new law automatically on January 1, 2030.

Drivers in the City of Atlanta who use or cross MARTA's designated transit vehicle lanes, MARTA and its transit vehicle operators, the Atlanta Police Department and other local law enforcement, private companies that operate automated camera monitoring systems, and courts handling traffic citations and appeals.

Drivers who block transit lanes in Atlanta could face new fines and, in cases caught by camera, mailed civil penalties rather than criminal charges. The bill aims to keep transit lanes clear for buses, but it also creates a new automated enforcement and mailed-notice system that vehicle owners must respond to or risk added late fees.

• New O.C.G.A. § 32-9-25(b) prohibits stopping or parking a non-transit vehicle in a designated transit vehicle lane in the City of Atlanta unless authorized.
• Subsection (c)(1) sets misdemeanor fines of up to $50, $100, and $150 for first, second, and third officer-issued citations, with course completion waiving the first fine.
• Subsection (c)(2) creates a parallel civil penalty system using automated transit vehicle lane monitoring devices, with the same fine amounts, capped $25 processing fees, and $5 late fees.
• Subsection (c)(2)(C)-(G) details the mailed notice, evidence, and appeal process for camera-issued citations, including a 60-day payment deadline and a second notice period.
• Subsection (c)(2)(I) directs civil penalty revenue collected by the city to be remitted to MARTA for public safety initiatives.
• Subsection (c)(2)(K) requires warning signs 200 to 500 feet before monitored transit lane entrances, sized at least 24 by 30 inches.
• Subsection (c)(3) limits enforcement to warnings for six months after a transit lane is first designated.
• Subsection (f) automatically repeals the entire new Code section on January 1, 2030.

1. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
2. 2026-01-12Senate Taken from Table (Senate)
3. 2025-04-02Senate Tabled (Senate)
4. 2025-03-27Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
5. 2025-03-27Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
6. 2025-03-10Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
7. 2025-03-06House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
8. 2025-03-06House Third Readers (House)

• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)Primary sponsor
• Betsy Holland (D, HD-054)
• Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Sheila Jones (D, HD-060)
• Martin Momtahan (R, HD-017)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 6, 2025

   145 yea, 22 nay (5 not voting, 8 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #221

• MARTA
• traffic enforcement
• transit lanes
• automated cameras
• Atlanta transportation