Cameras were first installed on the windshields of some Metro buses last year, but the first tickets were issued in mid-February. Initially, the only buses to have cameras were along line 212, from Hollywood/Vine to Hawthorne/Lennox stations via La Brea Avenue, and line 720, from Santa Monica to downtown L.A. via Wilshire Boulevard. Line 70, which services Olive Street and Grand Avenue, and lines 910 and 950 that serve Metro's J Line have since been included. The AI-powered cameras scan for illegally parked cars and compile a video of each violation, a photo of the license plate and the time and location, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Each citation is reviewed by a human.

Artificial intelligence-powered cameras are being installed on Los Angeles Metro buses to help ticket cars parked in bus lanes. Testing is planned for this summer and the program is expected to go live by the end of 2024, Metro said, after two months of community outreach to "ensure that the public is aware of the purpose, timing and impacts of this new program." "Once cameras are installed, there will be a 60-day warning period for drivers. During the first 60 days, warning citations will only be used as informational notices and will not result in any violations," the agency said. The program, designed by technology company Hayden AI, is meant to improve bus times, increase ridership and address mobility concerns.

The Los Angeles Police Department deployed its controversial robot dog during a standoff with an armed man on a Metro bus Wednesday -- only to realize the person was asleep. Police responded to the busy intersection of Melrose and Western avenues in Hollywood just before 4 a.m. after receiving a report of a man with a gun on a bus, Officer Melissa Ohana said. The LAPD has since confirmed that the robot dog had been used before. A passenger had informed the bus driver about the armed man, and the driver contacted police. The driver pulled the bus to the side of the road and passengers safely got out, while the man stayed on board.