Artificial intelligence cams are now employed to catch bike lane violators in Santa Monica.
The Automated Bike Lane Enforcement system, the first in California, uses AI technology to target motorists who illegally park or stop in the nearly 40 miles of bike lanes that run along the beach and throughout the city.
Trevor Thomas, senior transportation planner with the city of Santa Monica, said the city’s goal is to use the technology to create a safer city for its residents.
Hayden AI, the software manufacturer behind the tech, created an artificial intelligence network that has recorded all of the city’s bike lanes. The program is specific to the city of Santa Monica and will only be enforced within city limits.
The AI-powered cams have been installed on the front of parking enforcement vehicles to automatically detect when a car is illegally parked or stopped in a bike lane. When the camera detects a violation, it generates an evidence package, consisting of the date, time and location, as well as still images. An officer reviews the footage before issuing a flat-rated $93 citation, which is sent to the registered owner of the offending vehicle.
The evidence is reviewed, and the ticket is issued typically within a few days, Thomas said.
In a trial run in May 2024, the city installed the tech on two of its parking vehicles. By the end of a six-week period, the system had identified almost 1,700 violations.
The program officially went into effect on July 1, and as of a few days ago, the city is averaging about 150 violations per month, including the warning period that began May 1, Thomas said.
According to Thomas, the program is costing the city about $200,000 per year, but the projected income from the citations will help cover the cost.
“The citation is geared towards improving motorist behavior, improving the sort of conditions on the road rather than increasing the sort of revenue for the city,” Thomas said.
Santa Monica is using AI in other ways, as well. In 2025, Santa Monica installed the Automated Bus Lane & Bus Stop Enforcement system, also by Hayden AI, a similar effort to combat those who illegally stop or park in a bus lane or bus stop. Those citations are $293.
Since the Automated Bike Lane Enforcement system began, Thomas said the city has received some criticism about the ticketing and surveillance, but a majority of comments have been supportive.
“We’ve definitely received some positive feedback from the local bike riding community and the community in general,” Thomas said. “I think the balance of feedback has been positive.”
The program is expected to be used for the foreseeable future. Thomas explained that illegally parking in a bike lane has always been an infraction, and this system is just helping to hold citizens accountable.
“It really is driven by our desire to make the streets as safe as possible for all users,” Thomas said.
