Broadway merchants in Marble Hill face fines and falling sales amid MTA bus camera rollout

In Marble Hill, business owners on Broadway by West 225th Street say a year of construction disruptions by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has now been compounded by its new parking enforcement program, leaving merchants with mounting fines and falling sales.

For much of the past year, merchants have operated amid active work zones tied to the rehabilitation of the 1 train structure running above Broadway. The multi-year project, which spans from West 225th to West 242nd streets, has narrowed sections of the roadway, limited curb access and reduced available parking along the bustling commercial strip, presenting challenges to local businesses.

Store owners say those challenges have intensified with the rollout of the MTA’s Automated Camera Enforcement program, known as ACE, which uses cameras mounted on buses to issue violations to vehicles that double-park or block bus stops. Fines can reach $250 for repeat offenses.

All camera-captured violations are reviewed by trained city personnel prior to issuance, according to an MTA spokesperson. Violations are civil penalties and do not affect driving records or insurance, and enforcement data is regularly reviewed through a multi-agency framework involving the MTA, the city department of transportation and the department of finance to ensure accuracy and fairness.

The BX9 and BX7, routes that run through Riverdale, Kingsbridge and Marble Hill, are among the first lines to install ACE.

Merchants say the timing has been difficult. With fewer parking spaces available due to construction, customers and delivery drivers who are forced to briefly double park now risk receiving hefty fines.

“Sales have gone down quite a lot,”  Alexa Garcia, an employee of Marea Fish Market and Restaurant, located at 5219 Broadway, said. “During lunch hours, people used to come in quite frequently, especially people who work outside – like taxis, Ubers — that would take their lunch break. They can’t stop anymore.”

The strain extends beyond customers. Without driveways or designated loading zones, businesses like Marea depend on short-term curb access to unload inventory. Garcia said it has become increasingly difficult.

“Apart from them passing by and giving tickets with the buses, they’re closing the street with construction and there’s a lot of parking space taken,” she said.

Two doors down at Rosarina Bakery, owner Georgina Núñez said she has accumulated multiple fines since the start of the year, including three tickets totaling $750 around Valentine’s Day.

“I went shopping for the bakery supplies, and while I was unloading everything, the buses kept passing one after the other,” she said. “If another bus passes while you’re stopped for even a second, that’s it — you’re getting a ticket.”

The week of Valentine’s Day is typically one of the bakery’s busiest and most profitable. This year, she said, customers reported struggling to find parking, with some opting not to come in at all. Núñez estimates she lost between $8,000 and $10,000 in sales for that period.

Delivery drivers, she added, have also received tickets while loading and unloading merchandise, and some have stopped accepting jobs in the area because of the risk.

“I cannot park three or four blocks away and bring my groceries,” Núñez said. “I’m bringing 50 pounds of cooking materials for the bakery. I can’t carry them.”

So far, she’s managed to keep the bakery afloat by using income from the other two businesses she owns, adding that without that support, she would likely have to close her Marble Hill location.

Construction on the elevated 1 train structure above Broadway is expected to continue through 2027. The structure has not undergone major rehabilitation since the late 1980s. It is currently undergoing federally funded steel replacement, abrasive blasting, repainting and concrete restoration.

While pedestrian access is maintained, parking is particularly difficult after this year’s winter storms, which left snowbanks that further narrow available spots.

According to the MTA, the ACE program was implemented as part of a broader citywide effort to improve bus reliability, safety and accessibility along designated corridors. In partnership with the department of transportation, the program prioritizes routes with consistently low speeds and high ridership.

The spokesperson for the MTA said business impacts related to parking and loading are addressed through existing curb and parking regulations, including designated loading zones, time-restricted parking rules and allowances for brief pick-ups, drop-offs or driveway access consistent with posted signage.

However, these options are unavailable to those in Marble Hill.

The MTA clarified vehicles may briefly enter bus lanes to make the next available right turn or to access a legal parking space or driveway, and expeditious passenger pick-ups and drop-offs are permitted where signage allows.

Merchants on 225th Street say they understand the need for reliable bus service and infrastructure repairs. Their concerns, they said, are the overall impacts of the construction and the ACE program.

Núñez said she plans to appeal the tickets she received and write a letter to the mayor outlining her concerns as a business owner.