After installing AI-powered cameras in buses across the region to ticket illegally parked vehicles, SEPTA is bringing the program to trolleys throughout its system next month. On Thursday, officials with SEPTA and the Philadelphia Parking Authority announced that, beginning March 2, 2026, SEPTA t rolleys serving Lines T1 through T5, along with the G1 route, will be equipped with automated enforcement cameras intended to “identify vehicles illegally blocking trolley lanes and stopping zones.” Then, officials said, after a 60-day warning period, drivers of vehicles caught in violation by the cameras will be slapped with $51 fees. This ticketing, SEPTA said, is set to begin on April 1, 2026. The program — created with the city’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Systems, the Philadelphia Parking Authority and SEPTA — expands a similar program that put ticketing cameras on over 150 buses throughout the city that was launched last year. Since the launch of that program, the NBC10 Investigators found these cameras have issued over 112,000 tickets. nbc10 investigators Feb 9 AI-powered cameras on SEPTA buses have led to thousands of tickets Artificial Intelligence May 6, 2025 SEPTA, PPA firing up AI-powered bus cams to ticket illegally parked drivers “SEPTA is proud to partner with the Philadelphia Parking Authority on this initiative, which is delivering real improvements for our riders,” said SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer, in a statement on the expansion of the program. “Illegally parked vehicles obstructing transit cause delays and slow service and create unnecessary dangers to riders and pedestrians. We have already seen better performance and reliability on bus routes where cameras are in use, and we look forward to seeing the same on trolleys.” Also, according to PPA Executive Director Rich Lazer, this effort will expand on the PPA’s on-going ADA Mobility Access Initiative. “Vehicles parked illegally in trolley or bus lanes not only cause unnecessary delays, they threaten the safety and accessibility of all riders,” Lazer said in a statement. “When vehicles obstruct trolley tracks or stopping zones, the impact is more than a minor inconvenience. A single illegally parked vehicle can disrupt service for thousands of riders and create unsafe boarding conditions that force passengers into moving traffic.” Officials said that trained PPA enforcement officers will manually review all violations before issuing warnings or $51 citations. The PPA is working closely with SEPTA to install cameras on a total of 30 trolleys in the coming weeks, officials said. “This is a joint PPA/SEPTA initiative that directly supports the City’s Vision Zero goals and aligns with the PPA’s mission to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life for all Philadelphians,” Lazer said, in a statement. ...read more read less