Dive Brief:

• New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority is purchasing the use of up to 500 bus-mounted cameras from Oakland, California-based Hayden AI, according to an announcement from the company Tuesday. It’s the first contract the startup has secured, a company spokesperson confirmed.
• The camera systems aim to speed public transit by holding accountable drivers they find violating bus lane restrictions.
• As part of the $19.6 million contract, MTA began deploying the first 300 Hayden AI automated bus lane enforcement, or ABLE, camera systems in July, with the rollout expected to continue until the end of the year. The agreement gives MTA the option to request installation of up to 200 more.

Dive Insight:

Numerous cities, including Baltimore, Chicago and Washington, D.C., are implementing bus-mounted automated bus lane enforcement camera systems. New York has had stationary cameras collecting this data, but adding more bus-mounted cameras allows more comprehensive data collection. Siemens Mobility announced in late 2019 that the MTA was testing its bus-mounted ABLE systems.

MTA will measure success of the Hayden AI ABLE deployment by assessing both the increase in average bus speeds along routes where cameras are deployed and recidivism rates for vehicle owners receiving camera violations. The agency continues to seek additional contracts for similar technology.

Hayden AI plans to continue working with transit agencies and cities on automated bus lane enforcement and, potentially, automated bus stop enforcement. “Illegal parking in bus stops is a huge issue for transit riders — it prevents people who use wheelchairs from accessing buses. We’re eager to use our technology to solve that problem,” CEO Chris Carson said via email.

Carson also said that the company is exploring use cases for its technology beyond transportation to “enhance both the efficiency and operation of government agencies.”