On June 8th, Councilman Mark Squilla introduced legislation authorizing the use of cameras on SEPTA buses and trolleys to enforce parking regulations. Bill No. 230489 will be taken up in the fall when City Council reconvenes after the summer recess.
The bill creates a new chapter of the Traffic Code to allow a camera-based enforcement system to address stopping, parking and standing that interferes with mass transit.
Motorists who stop, park and stand in bus lanes, bus stops and on top of trolley tracks cause congestion, slow down bus and trolley movements, cause losses in time and money to transit passengers and induce unsafe traffic conditions for passengers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Center City congestion causes 1.7 million hours of passenger delays and adds $15.4 Million to SEPTA’s operating costs according to a 2019 Econsult Study.
A recent pilot program operated by SEPTA in collaboration with Hayden AI found an average of 4000 blockages a week during a test of automated cameras fitted onto 7 buses. The legislation introduced by Councilman Squilla would permit SEPTA to develop a full scale program to reduce these types of blockages.