Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a powerful technology that’s becoming more common in our lives. Now, Los Angeles is spending $11 million to put 100 AI cameras in buses. These cameras will catch cars parked illegally in bus zones. The testing for this program will start in the summer and should be fully running by the end of the year.
The organization that runs LA’s buses, called Los Angeles Metro, says they’re telling the community about this program. But as someone who lives on a bus route getting these cameras, I haven’t heard anything about it.
According to LA Metro, for the first 60 days after the cameras are installed, drivers caught on camera blocking bus lanes or stops will get warning citations instead of real tickets. But this might not be enough to let people know about the new rules. LA Metro could do more, like sending emails or texts to warn people about the changes.
A company called Hayden AI is making the cameras and software. They say this technology will increase bus ridership, make buses run on time, and solve mobility problems. The cameras will be inside bus windshields and will look for cars parked where they shouldn’t be. But they’ll only record when they see a problem.
Once a recording is made, a person from the Los Angeles Department of Transportation will decide if a ticket should be given.
Using video to enforce parking rules became legal in 2021. The law says that videos without parking violations must be deleted within 15 days. But recordings of parking violations can be kept for up to six months.
The contract between LA Metro and Hayden AI started in December 2023 and should last about five years. When cars block bus stops, it makes it hard for people with disabilities to get on and off the bus. And blocking bus lanes slows down the buses. Fixing these problems could make LA’s public transportation better, but LA Metro needs to do more to tell people about the new rules.
