Los Angeles Metro buses will use A new automated ticketing system to detect parking offenders in public transport lanes and at bus stops on certain routes.
Metro bus system helps enforce law in Los Angeles
The system It is based on a technology with cameras that will be installed in Metro buses. with the aim of penalising motorists who block lanes exclusive for public transport with their vehicles, which causes interruptions in service and an increase in travel times.
According to a report of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT)The program is expected to generate millions of dollars in revenue and pay for itself after implementation.
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According to LADOT, Metro buses will have cameras that will detect obstructions in bus lanesincluding vehicles illegally parked in public transport lanes or blocking bus stops.
To achieve this technology, Metro partnered with Hayden AI to install an initial system of 100 cameras, which They will be able to scan the license plates of parking violators and send the information to LADOTwhich will then have people verify the violation before issuing a ticket by mail.
The amount of fines will range from $293 for first-time offenders and $406 for repeat offendersFines would also have additional charges for late payments.
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Metro and LADOT They agreed to a 75/25 revenue split, with the largest percentage going to MetroThe department’s report said its projected share of revenue from automatic fines would generate more than $5.4 million annually.
The program will be launched in two stageswith dozens of automatic license plate reading cameras installed on Metro buses along four lines.
For Stage 1, the following are considered: Line 212 on La Brea Boulevard and Line 720 on Wilshire BoulevardFor Phase 2, there are lines 910/950 on the Metro J (Silver) Line and Line 70 on Olive Street and Grand Avenue.
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Camera installation is in progress on Stage 1 lineswhile the installation of the cameras on the remaining lines of Stage 2 will take place two months after the completion of Stage 1.
Los Angeles Metro expects more than 100,000 fines to be issued each year with the new technology, according to a pilot test carried out in 2021.
It will have a 60-day grace period to warn drivers about the new ticketing procedure and Metro is tasked with informing residents about upcoming changes.
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The Los Angeles Department of Transportation said bus lanes improve service reliability and reduce commuter travel times. However, Compliance with the rules is necessary to achieve these benefits.
So far, traffic officers monitor and enforce parking violations in bus lanes. However, officials acknowledged that the current strategy is resource-intensive and requires a lot of resources. It depends on the officers being on site to fine offenders on the spot..
“Given the increasing demands on our parking enforcement officers and limited staff resources, the application of the rules has not been sufficiently constant “enough to generate lasting behavior change,” LADOT officials said in the report.
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“The new program will increase enforcement efficiency, which is increasingly important as LADOT traffic officers have taken on increasing demands in recent years and Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget eliminates more than 50 traffic officers“, they added.
For now, a public outreach campaign is underway and The application of automatic fines is expected to begin in November 2024.
As the program is expected to be self-financing, It is being determined how the additional revenue will be invested..
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