A city program that automatically tickets drivers parked in downtown bike and bus lanes kicked off Monday, over a year since City Council approved the pilot program that uses cameras mounted on city vehicles.
For the first 30 days of the Smart Streets pilot ordinance, drivers will receive mailed warning notices for parking infractions caught by license-plate reading cameras mounted to certain city vehicles. Starting Dec. 5, drivers will receive a warning notice for the first offense, followed by fines for additional violations.
The pilot is limited to an area around downtown bounded by North Avenue, Ashland Avenue, Roosevelt Road and Lake Michigan.
The Smart Streets pilot ordinance, approved by City Council in March 2023, allows the city to ticket vehicle owner’s by mail for parking in bike lanes, bus-only lanes, crosswalks, bus stops and no parking zones.
Eight city vehicles equipped with license-plate reading cameras are now automatically photographing illegally parked vehicles in the downtown area, according to Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd). The vehicles belong to the Department of Finance and Department of Transportation.
According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, the goal of the Smart Streets pilot program is cut down on illegal parking that endangers pedestrians and cyclists. The program is also meant to speed up bus service by deterring drivers from parking in bus-only lanes.
City officials are kicking off the pilot with a news conference near Chicago and Milwaukee avenues Monday morning.
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