City Expands Automated Parking Enforcement to Protect Bike Lanes, Improve Safety
May 20, 2026 09:40AM ● By City of Sacramento News Release
The city recently announced the deployment of AI-assisted technology on three parking enforcement vehicles to identify drivers illegally blocking bike lanes, particularly in school zones. A 60-day warning period began May 13, with citations set to start July 13. Photo courtesy of City of Sacramento
SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The City of Sacramento will expand its automated parking enforcement program by deploying AI-assisted technology on three parking enforcement vehicles to identify vehicles illegally blocking bike lanes, with a focus on school zones citywide.
As of May 13, the city will launch a 60-day warning period for drivers illegally stopping or parking in bike lanes. Live citations will begin July 13.
“This program is about safety,” said Megan Carter, the city’s traffic engineer.
“Vehicles blocking bike lanes force people into traffic, reduce visibility and create unnecessary risks near schools, transit stops and busy corridors. The warning period gives drivers time to adjust before live enforcement begins,” Carter added.
The expansion builds on Sacramento’s automated bike lane and bus stop enforcement programs launched with Sacramento Regional Transit in 2025, including the nation’s first bus-mounted automated bike lane enforcement system. Parking enforcement officers are also currently able to issue citations when they encounter vehicles blocking bike lanes during regular patrols.
This program is made possible by Assembly Bill 361 (AB 361), which authorizes California cities to use forward-facing cameras for enforcing parking violations in bike lanes and transit zones; a vital legislative step toward making streets safer for everyone.
Since launching in 2025, the automated enforcement programs have issued 32,478 bus stop violation citations between Feb. 18, 2025, and May 12 and 25,312 bike lane violation citations between June 14, 2025, and May 12.
City officials said adding the technology to city parking enforcement vehicles will allow enforcement staff to more proactively identify bike lane violations in high-priority areas.
Drivers who stop or park in bike lanes will be subject to a $150 citation once live enforcement begins July 13. The increased citation amount, approved by the Sacramento City Council as part of the city’s updated fees and charges schedule, also applies to violations involving red curbs and bus zones.
During the initial 60-day rollout period beginning May 13, violators will receive warnings instead of citations as the city conducts public outreach and education about the new program.
Prior to implementing this technology, the city regularly received complaints regarding unsafe stopping and parking activity around Natomas schools, but enforcement was often limited by staffing capacity, timing and the volume of violations occurring during peak school travel periods.
The system uses cameras and AI-assisted technology to detect vehicles illegally stopped or parked in bike lanes while officers travel their normal routes. All potential violations are reviewed before warnings or citations are issued.
Drivers who believe a citation was issued in error will have the opportunity to contest the citation through the city’s standard parking citation review process.
