The 60-day warning period begins on March 20th. The ABLE program will improve transit safety, accessibility, and reliability.
Culver CityBus is launching automated bus lane and bus stop enforcement, known as the ABLE Program, systemwide to reduce parking violations obstructing public transit and improve safety, accessibility, and public transit reliability for riders. This program utilizes camera systems installed on Culver City transit buses to detect and enforce instances of vehicles illegally parked in bus stops and bike lanes, which impacts safety and accessible transit service.
Starting Thursday, March 20th, drivers illegally parked along the MOVE corridor mobility lanes and at bus stops throughout Culver City will receive warning notices in the mail. Citations will be issued starting May 19th, at which time, violations captured through ABLE technology will be subject to a $293 fine. These are existing violations and fines that are currently only administered when an enforcement officer witnesses the violation. The use of ABLE technology will provide a more robust opportunity to deter these violations.
Vehicles parked illegally in bus lanes and in bus stop zones impact safety and accessibility for all bus riders, especially riders with disabilities. If a bus cannot pull up to the curb because the bus stop is blocked by an illegally parked vehicle, it is impossible for bus operators to safely deploy wheelchair access ramps to the curb. It also forces transit riders to step into traffic lanes to board and exit the bus, where it is harder for bus operators to see them. Enforcement along the MOVE corridor will also provide an additional countermeasure to ensure improved transit times along the mobility lanes and improved safety surveillance for bicyclists using these lanes. The Transportation Department will be teaming up with the Culver City Police Department to identify violation “hot spots” for more focused on-the-ground enforcement efforts.
“Keeping dedicated transit zones clear for everyone who chooses to ride public transit or utilize the shared bike lane is essential to making Culver City safe and accessible,” said Culver City Mayor Dan O’Brien. “We’re excited to deploy proven technology solutions that will help improve longstanding problems created by parking violations in our bike and bus lanes and bus stops.”
Culver City joins other cities in California – including Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Oakland, and Sacramento – in deploying automated transit zone enforcement with bus-mounted camera systems. In New York City, where bus-mounted automated camera enforcement has been in effect since 2019, bus speeds have increased by 5% on average and collisions have decreased by as much as 34% along bus routes utilizing this technology.
All evidence packages of parking violations detected by the automated bus lane and bus stop enforcement camera systems will be reviewed manually by Culver City. Low income payment plans will be available, in compliance with California state law. More information about the low income payment plan, and about the program as a whole, is available on the Culver CityBus website at CulverCityBus.Com/ABLE.