The chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said at a Downtown Manhattan meeting Thursday that his agency will focus this year on clearing traffic from city bus lanes.

At a State Assembly committee meeting ran by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, MTA Chairman Jay Walder said he wants to help draft legislation to allow the use of cameras in bus lanes to control traffic use.

"I simply don't think that the MTA ever made bus lane cameras a priority. In fact, I don't think the MTA has made buses a priority quite the way that we're doing today," said Walder. "One of the things that I've tried to say from day one is that buses are an under-utilized, untapped resource in New York. We can do much more with it, and we're making it our priority to do that."

While the state Legislature has approved the use of cameras at some city traffic lights, some Assembly members have been reluctant to approve the use of cameras in city bus lanes.

"I recognize the issues about privacy," Walder said. "The Assembly, the legislature, has gotten over those issues with red light cameras. There's no reason why we can't get over those issues with the bus lane enforcement cameras."

Even on busy thoroughfares where bus lanes are painted red, many say the rules are blatantly ignored by cars and trucks.

"They could do a better job enforcing it. Putting up signs or writing more tickets, but like I said, this is New York City. No one does anything," said one MTA bus driver.

Another issue brought up in the meeting was a program recently cut from the MTA budget that gave free MetroCards to 500,000 city students.

Walder said that city and state officials would need to come up with money to save the programs, but some in attendance demanded more action on the matter.

"I don't like having children hung out there, and their parents and their families, to drive," said Democratic Brooklyn Assemblywoman Joan Millman. "Because I've had constituents talk to me about, 'What are we supposed to do, sit down at our kitchen table and decide which child to send to school?' You don't want to have to hear that."

Walder will release next week his 100-day report about his future plans for the transit agency.