Artificial intelligence is an intimidating technology that is playing an increasingly influential and unproven role in our lives, even now The angel spends $11 million to install 100 AI cameras on buses Traffic tickets for vehicles parked illegally in bus zones. Testing for this program is scheduled to begin this summer and is expected to be operational by the end of the year. Los Angeles Metrothe organization that operates LA’s city buses, insists that it is conducting outreach to ensure the public is aware of the program’s purpose, schedule and impact, but as someone who lives on one of the bus routes that are slated to get AI cameras, I have no sound heard .
According to LA Metro, once cameras are installed, there will be a 60-day warning period for drivers, with any violators caught on camera blocking bus lanes or blocking bus lanes having a 60-day warning period Bus stops receive warning notices instead of real tickets. This method of informing the public about the upcoming raids appears to be a deliberately half-hearted approach, resulting in most residents being unaware of the program’s implementation. If LA Metro really wants to inform residents about the new procedures, it should send an email or text message to LA residents warning them that new and more aggressive procedures are being implemented.
The program was designed by Hayden AI, a private citizen AI Company making $11 million from deal with Los Angeles Metro. Hayden AI claims that the implementation of its cameras and software will increase ridership, improve bus times and solve mobility problems. Cameras are mounted in the windshields of Metro buses and constantly search for illegally parked cars. However, according to Hayden AI Chief Growth Officer Charles Territo, recordings are only made when a potential breach is detected. According to the Los Angeles Times,
“If the bus is moving and no vehicle is parked in the lane, no data is recorded.” [Territo] said. “Only when the system observes a vehicle parked illegally in a bus lane or bus stop does it capture the license plate and record video of the incident.”
Once a record is created, it is sent to the LA Department of Transportation, where a human evaluates whether a ticket should be issued.
The use of video images to enforce parking violations was legalized in 2021. By law, videos that do not show a parking violation must be destroyed within 15 days. Any record of a parking violation may be retained for six months or 60 days “after the final disposition of the citation.”
LA Metro’s $11 million contract with Hayden AI began in December 2023 and is expected to last approximately five years. When Vehicles block bus stops, It creates accessibility issues for passengers with disabilities, and vehicles blocking bus lanes slow down traffic. Addressing these violations should help streamline LA’s notoriously underdeveloped public transportation system, which is a good thing, but LA Metro should make a more targeted effort to educate the public about the new enforcement methods.