California’s Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT), in collaboration with the City of Sacramento, is launching a new Bus Stop Enforcement Program to improve safety, accessibility, and reliability for transit riders and bus operators. 

The program will enforce parking regulations at bus stops throughout the city, ensuring that buses have unobstructed access to curbs, and passengers can safely board and exit buses at designated stops. 

How it Works

Up to 100 SacRT buses will be equipped with front-facing cameras powered by artificial intelligence (AI) from Hayden AI. 

The cameras will detect and record instances of unauthorized parking in bus stops. When a violation occurs, the system captures a short video and a photo of the vehicle’s license plate, and the exact time and location of the incident. The information is then sent to the City of Sacramento for review and citation processing. 

There will be a 60-day grace enforcement period during which drivers illegally parked in bus stops will receive warning notices in the mail. Citations with fines will be issued starting February 18. 

Under Assembly Bill 917 (AB 917), California transit agencies now have the authority to use forward-facing cameras to enforce parking restrictions in transit-only lanes and designated transit zones. The legal provision allows SacRT and other agencies statewide to take significant steps toward improving transit safety and accessibility by ensuring that bus stops remain clear and accessible.

Why the Program is Important

Unauthorized parking in bus stops poses significant safety risks for transit riders and SacRT employees and can create barriers for people with disabilities and those with mobility challenges. 

When bus stops are blocked, bus operators may be forced to load and unload passengers away from the curb, increasing the likelihood of accidents and delays. The Bus Stop Enforcement Program aims to reduce these risks by keeping designated transit zones clear.

“Clear bus stops are essential to providing a safe and efficient transit experience,” said SacRT GM/CEO Henry Li. “This program will help improve accessibility for all riders, especially those with mobility needs, while keeping our transit service reliable and on schedule.”

The program will also enforce bike lane violations to decrease the number of vehicles obstructing bike lanes, supporting sustainable transportation options while fostering safer, more predictable road conditions for all users. The bike lane enforcement will begin later in 2025.

Improving Safety at Bus Stops

This summer, SacRT conducted a 70-day pilot program on two busy downtown routes to assess the impact of vehicles illegally parked in bus stops. 

During the pilot, SacRT buses detected 286 parking violations obstructing bus stops. The high volume of violations confirmed the need for a targeted enforcement program to ensure accessible and safe boarding for all passengers.

Sacramento joins Oakland, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and New York in deploying automated bus stop enforcement with bus-mounted camera systems.

California-based Hayden AI will provide the automated bus stop and bike lane enforcement camera systems for SacRT buses and Duncan Solutions is providing violation processing software. All evidence packages of parking violations detected by the camera systems will be reviewed manually by the City of Sacramento.

“Hayden AI was created to solve a serious problem: vehicles blocking dedicated transit zones. It’s been an honor to use our technology to help cities and transit agencies improve safety and deliver accessible, reliable transit service, and we’re excited to bring this technology to Sacramento,” said Charles Territo, chief growth officer at Hayden AI.