Chicago Becomes 10th Major City to Launch Automated Transit Zone Enforcement with Hayden AI

San Francisco, CA – The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) launched automated bus lane, bus stop, and bike lane enforcement last week with bus-mounted technology from Hayden AI, a leading provider of vision AI solutions powering safer, smarter, and more efficient cities. This effort is a key part of the City of Chicago’s Smart Streets initiative to improve traffic safety, enhance protections for people walking and biking, and speed up public transportation.

Chicago is the 10th major U.S. city to deploy Hayden AI’s technology to help enforce parking violations that impact safety and obstruct bus lanes, bus stops, and bike lanes. Hayden AI’s bus-mounted technology identifies instances of potential parking violations while the bus is moving; all violations are reviewed by the City of Chicago before penalties are issued.

A 30-day warning period began on October 15 for vehicles illegally parked in bus zones and bike lanes in the pilot area; citations will be issued when the warning period ends.

“Everyone deserves a safe, reliable, and on-time ride. We’re honored to be part of Chicago’s important mission to make streets safer with new technology,” said Marty Beard, CEO of Hayden AI.

Illegal parking in dedicated transit zones and bike lanes makes roads unsafe and slows down public transportation. When drivers park in bike lanes, they put cyclists at enormous risk, forcing cyclists to merge into high-speed vehicle travel lanes. When drivers illegally park in bus lanes and bus stops, they significantly disrupt public transportation operations, preventing bus riders from reaching their destinations on time and making it dangerous for riders to board and exit buses at bus stops. People with disabilities are especially impacted by parking violations obstructing bus stops, as bus operators are unable to safely deploy wheelchair access ramps to the curb when the bus stop is blocked by an illegally parked vehicle.

Bus-mounted camera enforcement is proven to change driver behavior and keep dedicated transit zones clear of illegally parked vehicles, improving transit on-time performance, accessibility, and safety. Hayden AI’s automated enforcement system is installed on hundreds of transit buses in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, where it has helped increase transit bus speeds and reduce collisions along routes utilizing this technology.