Latest news with #RichLazer
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Drivers face $76 fines as new 'automatic ticket' law takes effect
City officials are increasingly using technology to cash in on motorists who break the rules. Starting Wednesday, drivers in Philadelphia will be monitored by cameras mounted to almost 200 pubic buses driving around the city. The cameras scan streets for vehicles illegally parked in bus stops and no-parking zones. If one is spotted, the system snaps a photo and sends it to law enforcement, where an officer decides whether to issue the city's $76 parking fine. Philadelphia joins cities like New York and Los Angeles in using automated camera enforcement. While the technology is widespread in Europe — especially in the UK, where speed cameras blanket major roads — it's still relatively rare in the US. 'Gone are the days we're gonna tolerate people going through here with an attitude that, "I'll take my chances because I'll never get caught,"' said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. 'You will get caught.' Philadelphia Parking Authority executive director Rich Lazer said the initiative is a collaboration among three city agencies, aimed at improving safety and easing traffic. He added that the cameras will help reduce congestion and improve traffic flow. Officials praised the tech, saying it will aid a police agency that has reported record low staffing and record high department vacancies. They're also saying it will free up areas in bus stops where wheelchair users board, plus also speed up first responder times. 'It is another innovative step forward to keep Philadelphians safe and traffic moving smoothly,' Jim Kenney, the city's mayor, said. 'Thanks to these cameras, we are increasing efficiency in our streets to make our city even more accessible.' The city says 152 SEPTA buses and 38 trolleys will get the ticketing tech. On April 15, the city started sending warning tickets to drivers caught by the buses. They will replace the warnings with full-blown tickets starting May 7. The $76 fines are for drivers caught near the Center City, while car owners illegally parked in other neighborhoods will face $51 fines. New York City's MTA launched the automated camera enforcement (ACE) program that also mounted cameras onto hundreds of buses that monitor parking infractions. The city will send tickets up to $76 to car owners starting May 7 Los Angeles also popped the cameras onto public buses last year. Officials announced the tech generated $1.6 million in payments from around 10,000 citations. But as rule enforcement agencies are turning toward more technology to aid their enforcement, drivers are responding with other illegal tricks. New York officials launched a crackdown on drivers removing their license plates from the back of their vehicles. Without the plates, New York's buses — and its controversial Congestion Pricing tolls in Manhattan — are not able to assign fees to car owners.
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
PPA to ticket drivers caught on AI-powered SEPTA bus cameras illegally parking in Philadelphia
SEPTA, the Philadelphia Parking Authority and the city's Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Systems are launching a new enforcement initiative using camera technology to crack down on illegally parked vehicles that block bus and trolley routes. Beginning April 16, forward-facing cameras mounted on some SEPTA buses will begin documenting drivers who stop or park illegally in bus lanes, at bus stops, or while double parked on routes 17, 21 and 42. Warning notices will be issued by mail at first, with fines starting May 7. Eventually, technology will expand to 152 buses and 38 trolleys. "There is no better example of intergovernmental cooperation and collaboration than our three agencies working together to use smart camera vision technology — to improve public safety and enhance urban mobility and local quality of life by reducing congestion and increasing traffic flow on some of our most congested city arteries," PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer said. The effort is part of the city's broader Vision Zero plan to improve street safety, reduce congestion and enhance public transit performance. It focuses on high-traffic areas from Spring Garden to Bainbridge streets and between the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, including Market, Chestnut and Walnut streets. The program uses AI-powered cameras developed by Hayden AI. The cameras record license plates and images of the violation. Once a potential violation is flagged, it is manually reviewed by PPA staff before a citation is issued. Violators will receive tickets in the mail — $76 for Center City infractions and $51 when the program expands to other neighborhoods. People who ride SEPTA buses say blocked bus stops don't just slow commutes, they also create dangerous hazards. That's the case for Kwanesha Clarke, a daily bus rider who uses a wheelchair. "When the SEPTA bus loads on the curb, it creates a straight entry for the wheelchair," Clarke said. "If it is loading on the street, it creates a steep hill, which can cause the chair to tip back and injure the person using it." Clarke said she's faced with the choice of risking injury or waiting for the next bus, which is a hassle. However, not all Philadelphians are happy with this new technology. Dominique Tindal, who delivers for DoorDash and Uber Eats, admits she sometimes parks illegally while waiting for her orders but said she tries to be "in and out." "Please have grace with the drivers," she said. "Especially in Philly. It's a nightmare. Some of the blocks are really tight." But officials say the technology is needed to prioritize safe and timely transit. They said they ran a successful pilot program , which caught more than 36,000 bus stop and bus lane parking violations in just over 70 days. "Illegally parked vehicles obstructing transit throw buses off schedule, slow down service and create unnecessary dangers to riders and pedestrians," SEPTA Interim General Manager Scott Sauer said. "We are eager to see the improvements this program will deliver."
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
PPA will start charging for loading zones at 22 spots in Center City Philadelphia – here's the full list.
Parking in a loading zone in Center City, Philadelphia, could soon cost you a couple bucks — or get you a ticket for a lot more — under a new PPA policy rolling out soon. The Philadelphia Parking Authority on Wednesday announced its new Smart Loading Zone initiative to keep the city streets clear from delivery drivers and to get traffic moving in the Center City District. The initiative will add cameras to 22 loading zones near the intersections of Chestnut, Sansom and Walnut Streets between 12th and 20th streets. In the 22 zones, cameras will monitor vehicles that pull up and time their stay in the space. The first three minutes are free — so if you can get parked, pick up or drop off a delivery and get moving, you're OK. But for any stay longer than three minutes, drivers and fleets will need to be registered with a new service called CurbPass . Registering for the service allows cameras in the loading zones to read your license plate and then charge your card linked to your CurbPass account. Drivers will pay 10 cents per minute parked past three minutes. If you park in the loading zone for over an hour while registered for CurbPass, or over three minutes while not registered, you will get a ticket for $51. The cameras are also watching for double-parked vehicles, and those will be issued $76 tickets. The zones will be marked with white signs surrounded by a purple border. The sign will include information to help register for CurbPass - you can also text "PHIL" to 855-707-1211 to register. The PPA says the cameras are not capturing faces or other identifying features of drivers, only license plates. The head of the PPA said the move is aimed at combating congestion and increasing efficiency on busy streets. "On any given day, our Center City streets are severely congested—often due to delivery vehicles parking wherever they can, whether legal or not," Executive Director Rich Lazer said in a statement. "We believe our Smart Loading Zone Initiative is a significant step toward resolving these issues, bringing delivery drivers into compliance, and reducing illegal parking that leads to daily gridlock." A three-week warning period starts on April 1, and fines will start being issued on April 21, 2025. You can find more information on the Smart Loading Zones and sign up for CurbPass in Philadelphia on the PPA's website.
