STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ongoing push to curtail bus lane violations in an attempt to speed up the city’s struggling transit network, the number of bus lane parking summonses issued by the NYPD so far in 2019 is more than double the year-to-date total from 2018.

As of April 28, the NYPD had issued 18,556 bus lane parking summonses in 2019, according to a spokesperson from the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The number represents a 136.2 percent increase over the 7,856 bus lane parking summonses issued by that point in 2018.

In January, de Blasio declared a citywide crackdown on bus lane violators, announcing that seven new NYPD tow teams would be dedicated exclusively to towing vehicles illegally parked in the city’s bus lanes throughout the five boroughs.

“Buses are a critical link in our public transportation system, but too often they are painfully slow. I hope all New Yorkers get the message that we have to keep bus lanes clear to get people moving and to work on time," de Blasio said.

The announcement was praised at the time by Borough President James Oddo, who has been working diligently to speed up Staten Island bus trips through his ongoing partnership with the MTA regarding the borough’s redesigned express bus network.

“There is much work that needs to be done to give back commuters a large part of their day, but partnering with the NYPD to crackdown on bus lane enforcement is a crucial step to address those skirting the traffic laws that in turn make our commuters work day exponentially longer," said Oddo.

While the NYPD claims that towing statistics are not currently available, the staggering increase in bus lane parking summonses reaffirms the city’s commitment to keeping bus lanes clear.

In addition to increased enforcement of existing bus lanes, de Blasio has said he will pressure the city to install new bus lanes at an average rate of 10 to 15 miles per year, up from the current rate of approximately seven miles per year.

The city will also look to upgrade five miles of existing bus lanes per year with extended hours and restricted turning, in addition to piloting approximately two miles of physically separated bus lanes in 2019.