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CTA board places ABLE bus‑lane camera IGA on omnibus; staff say pilot produced 24,000 warnings and 7,000 violations through August
Summary
CTA presented an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Chicago to transmit validated ABLE camera events for enforcement. Staff said the pilot (through Aug. 2025) produced about 24,000 warnings and over 7,000 violations; the IGA places adjudication responsibility with the city and was placed on the omnibus and approved.
The Chicago Transit Authority presented and the board moved the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) needed to share validated ABLE automated bus‑lane enforcement data with the City of Chicago, a step staff said is required to enable the next phase of the pilot.
Kara Bader, vice president of strategy and innovation, said CTA purchased six camera systems under an initial contract (not to exceed $315,852) with an option to procure up to 100 systems. The CTA system captures records and contextual data; the vendor performs an initial review and the city's Department of Finance conducts a final review. If the event is accepted, the approved events are transferred to the city's system via a secure API. "This IGA provides no new cost obligations on the CTA," Bader said, adding that the city is fully responsible for review, issuance, adjudication of tickets and public portals for viewing violations.
Bader cited pilot results shared by city partners through August 2025: "There have been approximately 24,000 warnings issued under the program, and over 7,000 violations," and staff estimated about 23 violations per day. She said about two‑thirds of violations are bus‑lane violations and roughly one‑third are bike‑lane violations; the city had not been issuing bus‑stop violations during the pilot. Bader emphasized the program's accessibility rationale: blocked bus stops can prevent passengers who rely on kneeling or ramps from boarding.
Board members asked whether individuals receive photos or video when a violation is recorded; Bader replied yes and said images and short video clips will be hosted on the City of Chicago's portal similar to red‑light and speed enforcement. Directors also asked about revenue sharing; Bader said there is not yet a firm revenue projection and the city ordinance allows a revenue‑sharing agreement, which CTA staff have begun discussing at a high level.
The board placed the item on the omnibus for approval and approved it by roll call.
