AC Transit to use AI-powered cameras to ticket vehicles blocking bus lanes, stops

Law enforcement will use a new, bus-mounted camera system to target drivers illegally parked along all Alameda-Contra Costa Transit lines starting Wednesday, the bus agency announced.

The camera system, which uses artificial intelligence to detect illegal parking at bus stops and illegal driving in bus lanes, will initially prompt law enforcement to give out warnings to drivers before $110 fines for violations are implemented on Oct. 7.

Developed by San Francisco-based company Hayden AI, the cameras are connected to an onboard computer that analyzes the footage for violations, AC Transit said. When a violation is detected, the camera records a 10-second video clip, a picture of the offender's license plate and a timestamp, then sends that information to law enforcement for review, the bus agency said.

While it's expanding the program to 100 buses on Wednesday, AC Transit said it has experimented with the new system on its highest ridership line since June. It replaced an older system that needed to be manually activated and had identified more than 1,100 potential violations in the almost six-week trial, AC Transit officials said.

After review by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, 787 resulted in citations compared to just 22 citations from the older cameras.

According to a June 2023 staff memo to the AC Transit Board of Directors, a 2022 trial of Hayden AI technology produced almost 10 citations per bus every day.

"Although our transit district anticipated an increase, the actual number of motorists cited for violating the bus only lane laws reinforced the safety imperative to expand AI-powered camera use across our bus network," AC Transit said.

To counter privacy concerns about AI technology, AC Transit said the cameras will be focused on the road, not recording anything inside the bus, and the cameras also will not be equipped with facial recognition software.

AC Transit officials said the agency will destroy any video of violations within 60 days of their resolution and any video of non-violations within 15 days.

According to the June 2023 memo, AC Transit isn't responsible for installation costs of the new system as part of its three-year contract with Hayden AI. The tech company instead will receive a monthly share of citation revenue of up to $2,500 per bus.

"This is to get the technology off the ground," AC Transit general manager Michael Hursh said before the agency approved the cameras. "This has an opportunity to be revolutionary in our industry."