SEPTA used AI camera technology to document over 36,000 vehicles parked illegally in bus lanes during a trial study that was conducted over the spring and summer.
The transit agency rolled out the 70-day AI camera-assisted pilot program with Hayden AI on April 20 and concluded on June 28. During this time, camera systems were mounted inside seven buses on Routes 21 and 42.
Using computer vision technology, the cameras were able to automictically detect illegally parked vehicles on the Chestnut Street and Walnut Street bus lanes and at bus stops, according to SEPTA.
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SEPTA had recorded an average of 4,000 weekly violations along those two bus bus routes.
“This study provides us with data that clearly illustrates the high frequency of these violations and how
we can use cutting-edge technology to combat these problems,” SEPTA CEO and General Manager
Leslie S. Richards said in a news release. “Reducing these violations will improve safety for our customers, pedestrians, and motorists, along with making our bus service more efficient and reliable.”
SEPTA's list of key findings:
- 36,000 bus lane and bus stop parking obstructions
- 32,000 bus stop parking violations
- 50% of bus stops obstructed at some point
- One in five of all vehicles noted had out-of-state license plates
- More than 10,000 riders negatively impacted by delays and other service disruptions
SEPTA also notes that the study found when bus stop zones are illegally blocked it makes it difficult for buses to pull up next to the curb which forces riders into the street causing a safety hazard - especially for those who need the wheelchair ramp deployed.
“For people with disabilities, just one car blocking a bus stop creates a serious hazard,” Latoya Maddox, the Senior Independent Living Specialist of Liberty Resources and Chairperson of the SEPTA Advisory Committee for Accessible Transportation, said in a news release. “This is a problem that has been tolerated for far too long, and we hope that action will be taken to change driver behavior and make the streets of Philadelphia safer for our community.”
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