Santa Monica Deploys AI to Catch Bike Lane Blockers

City becomes first in US to integrate AI into parking enforcement vehicles to identify violations

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Santa Monica, California, is set to become the first city in the United States to deploy artificial intelligence directly within its parking enforcement vehicles to identify bike lane violations. This spring, seven city vehicles will be equipped with technology from Hayden AI, marking a significant expansion of the company's existing work with city buses. This move signals a broader trend: the increasing integration of AI into urban infrastructure to improve safety and traffic flow.

Why it matters

Blocking bike lanes poses a significant safety risk for cyclists and can impede the flow of traffic. By deploying AI-powered enforcement, Santa Monica aims to reduce these violations and create a safer, more predictable environment for all road users, particularly vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians.

The details

Hayden AI's technology, which is already in use on buses in Oakland, Sacramento, New York City, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, will now be integrated directly into Santa Monica's parking enforcement vehicles. A recent 59-day trial at the University of California, San Diego, detected over 1,100 parking violations, with a striking 88% of those involving blocked bike lanes, underscoring the prevalence of the problem and the potential for AI to address it effectively.

  • This spring, seven city vehicles in Santa Monica will be equipped with Hayden AI's technology.
  • In September 2025, Hayden AI reached a milestone of 2,000 systems installed on buses globally.

The players

Hayden AI

A company that provides artificial intelligence technology for detecting parking violations, particularly in bike lanes and bus zones. Hayden AI currently operates on buses in several cities and is now expanding its technology to be integrated directly into parking enforcement vehicles.

Santa Monica, California

A coastal city in California that is set to become the first in the United States to deploy AI-powered technology within its parking enforcement vehicles to identify bike lane violations.

University of California, San Diego

Conducted a 59-day trial that detected over 1,100 parking violations, with 88% of those involving blocked bike lanes, highlighting the prevalence of the problem and the potential for AI-powered enforcement to address it.

Charley Territo

The chief growth officer at Hayden AI, who emphasizes the safety aspect of the company's technology, stating that "the more we can reduce the amount of illegal parking, the safer we can make it for bike riders."

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What they’re saying

“The more we can reduce the amount of illegal parking, the safer we can make it for bike riders.”

— Charley Territo, Chief Growth Officer, Hayden AI

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This initiative in Santa Monica is likely to be a catalyst for similar deployments of AI-powered enforcement in other cities, as the technology proves effective in identifying and addressing bike lane violations, ultimately improving safety for all road users.