If you’ve ever been stuck in traffic snarled by a car illegally parked in a bus lane at rush hour, Los Angeles Metro has some good news for you.
Beginning this summer, Metro plans to use cameras powered by artificial intelligence to identify vehicles parked in bus lanes and ticket them.
Testing is expected to begin this summer and full implementation by the end of this year, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times, though a 60-day warning period will precede any ticketing.
“The cameras will be mounted inside Metro bus windshields to check for vehicles parked in bus lanes and at bus stops, in order to help enforce new parking rules after the L.A. City Council approved a fine last year,” the Times reports.
Hayden AI designed the program, which will cost Metro $11 million for 100 camera systems. The contract lasts about five years, the Times adds.
When a potential violation is spotted by artificial intelligence, the system captures the license plate and records video that is then sent to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, where a human will decide if the ticket should actually be assessed.
These tickets will be appealable, as are human-issued tickets, and the recording will be made available to affected car owners, Charles Territo, Hayden AI’s chief growth officer, told the Times.