Topline:
Metro has installed 15 AI-powered cameras to ticket cars illegally parked in bus lanes. The agency plans to install 100 in total.
The backstory: Two cameras will be installed inside the buses, scanning in real time for cars parked inside a bus lane or in front of a stop. The cameras will take videos and photos of the license plate to create an “evidence package” to be sent to local parking enforcement agencies. The program will launch by the end of 2024.
Where the cameras have been installed so far: Some cameras have been installed along bus routes 720 — that’s the Santa Monica to downtown Los Angeles line, and 212 — the Hollywood/Vine Station that goes to the Hawthorne/Lennox Station.
Additional cameras will be added along bus routes 910, 950, and 70.
What’s next: The L.A. Department of Transportation is preparing to process bus lane enforcement citations once the program is up and running.
In the meantime, Metro and LADOT are creating an outreach program to inform the public how it will work. Once cameras are installed, drivers will get a 60-day warning period.