According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, LA Metro’s new camera pilot program is resulting in historically high ticketing rates for vehicles that are stopped unlawfully in designated bus lanes throughout the city.
LA Metro started using AI-powered cameras earlier this year to identify cars stopped in bus lanes and automatically issue tickets for about $300.
Before the pilot program was formally introduced in a few areas of the city in February, it was initially developed with a series of warnings.
According to LAist, LADOT data now reveals that the cameras have been issuing tickets to thousands of cars per month, including almost 10,000 in the first two months.
The initiative has been implemented on a few Metro bus lines, such as the 720, which runs down Wilshire Boulevard from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, and the 212, which runs along La Brea Avenue between Hawthorne and Hollywood.
According to LAist, the number of citations issued during that specific time period was 77% more than the amount of tickets issued by parking enforcement staff prior to the program’s start.
LA Metro and the tech company Hayden AI are collaborating on a five-year pilot project that includes the AI-enabled camera system. In the first rollout, 100 bus camera systems scan parking offenders’ license plates and transmit the data to LADOT, which then employs a human to confirm the information and mail a citation.
The fines, which include potential additional costs for late payments, range from $293 for first-time offenders to $406 for second-time offenders.
The system was created in an attempt to decrease delays and increase Metro bus dependability. One traffic remedy for congested corridors is dedicated bus lanes; however, the advantages are severely limited when traffic blocks the lanes.
According to the city’s initial plans, the initiative will pay for itself and bring in millions of dollars a year for Metro and LADOT, who have agreed to a 75/25 income split.
That forecast appears to be coming true, as thousands of citations have already been issued in the first two months of launch.
The system has been formally introduced by Metro on three additional lines: the 70, which runs between Olive Street and Grand Avenue, and the 910 and 950 on the J Line Bus Rapid Transit line.
Totals of citations from those lines are still pending.
