AI-Powered Cameras To Ticket Vehicles Blocking SEPTA Trolley Lanes, Stopping Zones

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Parking Authority on Monday will begin automated enforcement of vehicles illegally blocking trolley lanes and stopping zones, officials said.

While the enforcement technically begins Monday, a 30-day warning period will run until April 1. Starting April 1, vehicles blocking the lanes and zones will be issued $51 fines.

This enforcement will be effective on trolley lines T1 through T5, and the G1 route on Girard Avenue.

Vehicles on those lines will be equipped with automated enforcement cameras.

Working with the City's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Systems, the PPA and SEPTA initially launched their Automated Bus Camera Enforcement Initiative in the spring last year.

The program aims to improve safety and alleviate congestion by using camera-mounted computer vision technology to enforce violations for blocking bus lanes, bus stops, and trolley zones, the PPA said.

Forward-facing-vision-technology-equipped camera systems from Hayden AI have already been mounted on 152 SEPTA buses to enforce parking violations that obstruct public transit, and help improve safety, accessibility, and bus and trolley service reliability for SEPTA riders.

"SEPTA is proud to partner with the Philadelphia Parking Authority on this initiative, which is delivering real improvements for our riders," SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said. "Illegally parked vehicles obstructing transit cause delays and slow service and create unnecessary dangers to riders and pedestrians. We have already seen better performance and reliability on bus routes where cameras are in use, and we look forward to seeing the same on trolleys."

"Vehicles parked illegally in trolley or bus lanes not only cause unnecessary delays, they threaten the safety and accessibility of all riders," PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer said. "When vehicles obstruct trolley tracks or stopping zones, the impact is more than a minor inconvenience. A single illegally parked vehicle can disrupt service for thousands of riders and create unsafe boarding conditions that force passengers into moving traffic."

Legislation authorizing the PPA and SEPTA to operate the automated bus and trolley enforcement camera program was sponsored by Councilman Mark Squilla. The City Council unanimously passed it in October 2023.

Philadelphia will be the first city in the country to implement this enforcement approach on trolleys.

New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and other major US cities currently use camera technology to improve safety and bus performance.

In New York City, where bus-mounted automated camera enforcement has been in effect since 2019, bus speeds have increased by 5 percent on average and collisions have decreased by as much as 34 percent along bus routes utilizing this technology. Parking violations obstructing bus stops have also decreased by 40 percent.

"In a city where 42 percent of Black residents and 50 percent of impoverished households do not own a car, efficient public transit is paramount to creating a strong transportation network that better provides economic opportunity for all," said Christopher Puchalsky, Ph.D., Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, OTIS. "The camera-aided bus and trolley enforcement initiative will ease commutes for working Philadelphians, while improving the performance of SEPTA's system. This partnership between the PPA, SEPTA, and OTIS spotlights the Parker administration's commitment to intergovernmental collaboration and a vision of One Philly, a United City."

Trained PPA enforcement officers will manually review all violations before issuing warnings or $51 citations. The PPA is working closely with SEPTA to install cameras on 30 trolleys in the coming weeks.