Sacramento, California – Sacramento is widening its use of automated parking enforcement in an effort to keep bike lanes clear, especially near schools where blocked lanes can quickly turn routine drop-offs into safety hazards.
Beginning May 13, the City of Sacramento will start a 60-day warning period for drivers who illegally stop or park in bike lanes. During that time, violators will receive warnings rather than fines while the city carries out public outreach and gives drivers time to understand the expanded program. Live citations are scheduled to begin July 13.
The city will deploy AI-assisted technology on three parking enforcement vehicles. As officers travel their regular routes, forward-facing cameras will help detect vehicles that may be blocking bike lanes. City officials said every possible violation will be reviewed before any warning or citation is issued.
“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.”
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The expansion builds on Sacramento’s automated bike lane and bus stop enforcement programs launched with Sacramento Regional Transit in 2025, including what city officials described as the nation’s first bus-mounted automated bike lane enforcement system. Parking enforcement officers already have the ability to issue citations when they come across vehicles blocking bike lanes during regular patrols, but the added technology is expected to help staff identify violations more proactively in high-priority areas.
Since the earlier automated enforcement programs began, Sacramento has issued 32,478 bus stop violation citations between Feb. 18, 2025, and May 12, 2026. The city also issued 25,312 bike lane violation citations between June 14, 2025, and May 12, 2026.
The new effort is made possible by Assembly Bill 361, or AB 361, which authorizes California cities to use forward-facing cameras for parking enforcement in bike lanes and transit zones.
Once live enforcement starts, drivers who stop or park in bike lanes will face a $150 citation. The same increased citation amount, approved by the Sacramento City Council through the city’s updated fees and charges schedule, also applies to violations involving red curbs and bus zones.
The initial rollout will place particular attention on school zones, an issue Councilmember Lisa Kaplan has repeatedly emphasized. City officials said Sacramento had received regular complaints about unsafe stopping and parking around Natomas schools, but enforcement was often limited by staffing, timing and the heavy volume of violations during peak school travel periods.
“Keeping school zones safe for students and families is one of our highest priorities,” Kaplan said. “Too often, vehicles stopping in bike lanes and near intersections create dangerous conditions for children walking or biking to school. Expanding this enforcement program will help improve visibility, reduce conflicts and support safer streets in our neighborhoods.”
Drivers who believe a citation was issued incorrectly will be able to contest it through the city’s standard parking citation review process. Public Works officials said the program also supports Sacramento’s broader Vision Zero strategy, which aims to improve safety for people walking, biking, riding transit and driving across the city.