New York MTA Selects Hayden AI to Increase Rider Safety and Improve Operational Efficiency

This week, we’re thrilled to announce that Hayden AI has been awarded a contract with the MTA, the largest transit agency in the United States, to deploy 300 interior mounted Automated Bus Lane Enforcement (ABLE) camera systems on MTA buses, with an option to install as many as 200 additional camera systems upon MTA request.

Prioritizing buses on city streets is the key to keeping riders moving – the MTA operates over 300 bus routes, including 138 miles of bus lanes, and these bus lanes carry over 500,000 riders each day.

Bus-only lanes deliver a host of benefits: shorter trips, increased bus speeds, and on-time arrivals, which can reduce operating costs. But illegally parked and stopped vehicles in bus lanes minimize these benefits by forcing buses into general purpose lanes, leaving them stuck in traffic.

Hayden AI installs two pieces of equipment on transit buses to conduct automated enforcement: an AI-powered camera system and an edge processor. First, the camera uses computer vision to “observe” the bus lane for potential parking violations. Next, the edge processor analyzes this information in real-time, rather than transferring the data to a central server for processing. If a potential violation is detected, our systems capture the vehicle license plate and other location data needed to issue a citation. A brief video of the event package is sent for processing.

Automated enforcement is a powerful tool because it so clearly works. After the New York MTA began automated camera enforcement of bus lanes with a different company, the agency experienced a 17% increase in speed along the dedicated bus lanes on the B44.

At Hayden AI, our mission is to help municipalities enhance quality of life through our smart traffic enforcement platform. (Fun fact: our CEO first came up with the idea for our company while riding a San Francisco bus that was stuck in general traffic – even though it was in the bus lane.)

“We are very proud to partner with MTA on this exciting transit bus mobility initiative,” said Hayden AI CEO Chris Carson. “Ensuring that bus lanes are free from illegally parked vehicles means that thousands of riders will experience faster, smoother, and safer transit trips. We appreciate the opportunity to deploy our technology as we help to enhance the ridership experience for all MTA transit bus passengers.”

Installation of the first 300 bus mounted Hayden AI ABLE cameras began in July and is expected to be completed by the end of December.

We look forward to bringing our technology to any agency that is looking to provide better service and transportation equity to transit riders. To learn more about how Hayden AI can increase rider safety and improve operational efficiency, reach out to our charles.territo@hayden.ai!