Metro buses will soon begin automatically ticketing parking violators on these routes
Los Angeles is moving forward with plans to use a new automated ticketing system to enforce parking violations in bus lanes and at bus stops.
The camera-based technology will be deployed on LA Metro buses in hopes of cracking down on those who block dedicated bus lanes and bus stops with their vehicles, causing service disruptions and increasing transit times.
The program, according to a report from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, is expected to generate millions in revenue and pay for itself once deployed.
According to LADOT, Metro buses will be outfitted with cameras which will monitor for “bus lane obstructions,” including vehicles illegally parked in dedicated bus lanes or blocking bus stops.
Metro partnered with tech company Hayden AI to install an initial rollout of 100 camera systems. The cameras will scan the license plates of parking offenders and send that information to LADOT, which will in turn use a human to verify the violation and then issue a ticket through the mail.
Fines would range from $293 for a first-time offender to $406 for second-timers; fines will also come with possible additional fees for late payments.
Metro and LADOT have agreed to a 75/25 revenue split with Metro receiving the bulk. The LADOT report stated that its projected portion of revenue from the automated ticketing system would generate more than $5.4 million annually.
The program will launch in two stages with dozens of automatic license plate reading cameras installed on Metro buses along four bus corridors.
Line 212 on La Brea Boulevard and Line 720 on Wilshire Boulevard will comprise Stage 1, and lines 910/950 on the Metro J (Silver) Line and Line 70 on Olive Street and Grand Avenue will comprise Stage 2.
Camera installation is already underway on the Stage 1 lines, and installation on the remaining Stage 2 lines is expected to take place two months after completion of Stage 1.
LA Metro expects more than 100,000 tickets will be issued yearly through the new technology, based on a previous pilot test conducted in 2021.
A 60-day grace period will be instituted to warn drivers about the new ticketing procedure and Metro has been tasked with informing the public about the upcoming changes.
LADOT said dedicated bus lanes improve service reliability and reduce travel times for riders, but compliance is needed for these benefits to be realized.
Traffic officers currently monitor and enforce parking violations in bus lanes, but officials say the current strategy is “resource-intensive” and relies on officers being on the scene to catch parking violators in the act.
“Given the increasing demands on our Parking Enforcement Officers and limited staffing resources, enforcement has not been consistent enough to have lasting behavior change,” LADOT officials wrote in the report. “The new program will increase enforcement efficiency, which is increasingly important as LADOT traffic officers have taken on expanding demands in recent years, and as the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget eliminates more than 50 traffic officers.”
Public outreach is currently underway and it’s expected that enforcement will begin in November.
While the program is expected to pay for itself, it’s currently being determined how any additional revenue will be spent.
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