SacRT Camera Program Creates Safer Bus Stops, Generates Revenue

General Manager/CEO
Sacramento Regional Transit District, CA

At the Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT), we embrace ground-breaking innovation and collaboration through public-private partnerships. This year, SacRT teamed with two private companies and the City of Sacramento to launch a technology-driven enforcement program that has enhanced bus stop safety, improved transit efficiency, and introduced a new revenue stream for our agency.

SacRT’s Automated Bus Stop Enforcement Program uses front-facing cameras with AI technology mounted in buses to identify and cite illegally parked cars at bus stops, allowing our drivers to access curbs and provide safe boarding for passengers, notably those with mobility limitations.

Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and New York have similar camera-based parking enforcement programs. However, ours boasts a unique revenue-sharing deal that requires no fees on our part. Instead, our partnership quartet—SacRT, City of Sacramento, camera provider Hayden AI, and data processor Duncan Solutions—have agreed to split citation revenue equally. In the first three months, that has resulted in more than $250,000 in new revenue for SacRT.

The program operates under the authority of California Assembly Bill 917, which allows transit agencies to use bus-mounted cameras to enforce parking rules in transit zones. We recently expanded the program to tackle illegal parking in bicycle lanes, making it the first bus-mounted camera bike-safety program nationwide. This new tech-based, revenue-generating arrangement could well be employed by other public transit agencies and cities to improve service efficiency and augment revenues, especially in an era of fiscal duress.

Our partners call our program a win-win for Sacramento. City parking manager Staci Hovermale summed it up: “By leveraging innovative technology and data-driven enforcement, we’re creating safer streets for everyone, especially for those who rely on transit most. This underscores what’s possible when cities and transit agencies work together to deliver real, lasting impact for residents.”

SacRT recently received a Gold Award for Bus Safety from APTA as a result of our Automated Bus Stop Enforcement Program.

Safety and efficiency remain our primary goals, not revenue enhancement. Early analysis indicates drivers are beginning to get the message. Fewer cars now park illegally at our bus stops, leading to a five percent boost in service reliability.

We at SacRT see our Automated Bus Stop Enforcement Program as a statement of who we are in our community: a modern public transit agency focused on creatively clearing the way for riders to safely and efficiently get where they need to go.