Automatic ticketing for bus and bike lane violators goes on trial run in city center

A city program that automatically issues tickets to drivers parking in bike and bus lanes downtown began Monday, more than a year after the City Council approved a pilot program using cameras mounted on city vehicles.

During the first 30 days of the Smart Streets pilot ordinance, drivers will receive warning notices in the mail for parking violations captured by license plate reading cameras mounted on certain city vehicles. Starting December 5, drivers will be issued a warning notice for the first violation, followed by fines for additional violations.

The pilot is limited to the area around downtown, bordered by North Avenue, Ashland Avenue, Roosevelt Road and Lake Michigan.

The Smart Streets pilot ordinance, approved by the City Council in March 2023, allows the city to ticket vehicle owners by mail for parking in bike lanes, bus-only lanes, pedestrian crossings, bus stops and no-parking zones.

Eight city vehicles equipped with license plate-reading cameras now automatically photograph vehicles parked illegally downtown, according to Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd). The vehicles belong to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport.

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, the goal of the Smart Streets pilot program is to reduce illegal parking that endangers pedestrians and cyclists. The program also aims to speed up bus service by discouraging drivers from parking in bus-only lanes.

City officials are kicking off the pilot with a news conference Monday morning near Chicago and Milwaukee avenues.

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