Chicago is expanding a pilot program using cameras to catch and ticket drivers blocking bus and bike lanes in parts of downtown.

Starting Wednesday, six CTA buses equipped with cameras will be used to enforce parking and standing violations in bus and bicycle lanes in an area bounded by North Avenue, Ashland Avenue, Roosevelt Road, and Lake Michigan.

The idea to prevent cars from blocking the bus and bike lanes so traffic can move more quickly. For the first 30 days those bus-mounted cameras are operating, violators will get a warning in the mail. Starting Nov. 14, any driver who's already had a warning will get a ticket, while first-time violators will get a warning before repeat violations result in a ticket.

"When one really key element of our public transit system, our buses, aren't operating to the best of their capacity, it creates just a sort of general mistrust in the system," said Alex Nelson, strategy advisor with Better Streets Chicago, a transportation advocacy organization working for better service in the city.

The non-profit thinks the pilot is good for commuters, while providing another revenue stream for the city.

"The more people we get on buses, the fewer people are in cars, and the less traffic we will see," Nelson said.

The so-called "Smart Streets" pilot program started last November, with cameras mounted on eight Chicago Department of Finance parking enforcement vehicles.

The six CTA buses now being added to the program will have an on-board processor and two cameras mounted on their windshield and loaded with technology from Hayden AI.

After violations are recorded via a driver's license plate, the Chicago Department of Transportation will review the video using AI technology before issuing warnings or fines.

Nelson, an AI skeptic, said she hopes in this case the technology is used for good:

"I think this is potentially a test use case of one of the good examples of what AI can be integrated into in our society," he said.

Tickets for blocking a bus lane will cost $90. Tickets for stopping or parking at a bus stop run $100. Blocking a bike lane will result in a $250 fine.

Chicago's not alone in using cameras to enforce bus and bike lane violations. Some of the nation's biggest transit systems are using AI-enhanced cameras through the same company to keep bus lanes clear of illegally parked cars.

In just three years, Hayden AI has launched services with transit agencies in New York, Oakland, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Pilot programs are up and running in Denver, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

"It just goes to show that this is something that … makes us a 21st century city, and we're just in lockstep with so many others around the country," Nelson said.

City officials said they are prioritizing the CTA's "Loop Link" bus lanes and bus stops first during the pilot program, which expires in December 2026.

Once the pilot program is completed, the Chicago Department of Transportation will provide a summary report to City Council to determine if the program should be made permanent and perhaps even expanded to other parts of the city.