Chicago council approves citywide camera program after $3 million collected in fines
Smart Streets, which uses cameras on CTA buses to photograph vehicles blocking bike and bus lanes, expands starting January 2027.
By Carlos Rousseau ·
The Chicago City Council approved an expansion of the Smart Streets program, which deploys cameras on CTA buses and city vehicles to photograph cars and trucks that stop in bike or bus lanes. The city reports the program has collected $3 million in revenue from violations since the pilot began. Supporters project $12.8 million in the coming year once coverage goes citywide in January 2027.
The program began as a pilot. Cameras photograph vehicles that illegally stand or park in designated lanes, and the registered owner receives a warning. A second offense draws a ticket and a fine. The city said 84% of drivers warned during the test phase were not cited again. The city later applied the same camera method to street cleaning and parking meter enforcement.
Large delivery companies account for much of the enforcement activity. The city said such firms have paid nearly $460,000 in fines since the pilot started. A CTA spokesperson said each vehicle illegally parked in a bus lane or at a bus stop slows service by 13 seconds.
Ald. Andre Vasquez of the 40th Ward, a co-sponsor of the program, said the cameras change driver conduct. "It helps correct behavior," Vasquez said. "It allows people to make the right decisions rather than blocking the bike lanes, leading to much more dangerous circumstances not only for cyclists but also for pedestrians, for seniors, for parents with strollers, and we need to make sure that accountability is in place." The other co-sponsor, Ald. Daniel LaSpata of the 1st Ward, rides a bicycle to work and said blocked bike lanes remain a problem he expects the expansion to address.
Coverage follows a set schedule. From January to June 2027, enforcement reaches Foster Avenue, California Avenue and Pershing Road. From July through December 2028, the program extends to Devon Avenue, Pulaski Road and 51st Street, with full citywide coverage anticipated in 2028. The city also kept its Clear Path Program in place for low-income drivers seeking relief on certain vehicle-related debt; the city said more than 106,000 residents have used it since 2023.
