The city equipped six Chicago Transit Authority buses with license plate reader cameras Wednesday to automatically ticket drivers illegally parked in Downtown bus and bike lanes.
It’s an expansion of a pilot program launched last year that installed city vehicles with cameras aimed at enforcing parking and standing violations in bus and bike lanes in an effort to improve street safety for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.
The pilot area is bounded by North Avenue, Roosevelt Road, Lake Michigan and Ashland Avenue. The program is set to expire in December 2026.
Drivers will be issued a warning for the first violation, then will receive a ticket in the mail for any subsequent offenses. A 30-day warning period began Wednesday, meaning all drivers hit with a violation will receive a warning notice until Nov. 14, when any subsequent violators will begin receiving fines.
Tickets issued through the program include: $90 fines for parking in a bus lane; $250 fines for bike lane obstructions; $50 tickets for parking in expired meters outside of the central business district; and $140 tickets for personal vehicles parked in commercial loading zones.
The city contracted with California-based artificial intelligence company Hayden AI, whose technology has been used by other major city transit agencies. The AI company’s system captures information from vehicles illegally blocking bus and bike lanes.
The company then reviews the violations and transfers the data to the city to consider issuing tickets. The CTA does not review violations or issue tickets, city officials said.
City officials have emphasized the program is not to raise revenue, but to enhance road safety and optimize CTA bus service.
“Every Chicagoan deserves a transportation system that is safe, reliable, and efficient,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. “By keeping bus and bike lanes clear of illegally parked vehicles, the Smart Streets pilot helps us protect our most vulnerable road users while improving the daily commute for riders across the city.
“This collaboration with CTA represents another step forward in using innovation to make our streets work better for everyone.”