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CC - CONSENT ITEM: (1) Approval of a Two-Year Hardware as a Service (HaaS) Agreement with Hayden AI Technologies, Inc. (Hayden AI) for Automated Bus Lane Enforcement in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $705,000 Annually; (2) Approval of a Two-Year Agreement with Duncan Solutions for Enforcement Processing in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $200,000 Annually; and (3) Authorization to the City Manager to Approve up to Three Optional One-Year Extensions for Each of the Hayden AI Agreement and the Duncan Solutions Agreement.
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Meeting Date: November 11, 2024
Contact Person/Dept: Tamar Fuhrer/Transportation Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6593
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Attachments: []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (11/07/2024)
Department Approval: Diana Chang, Chief Transportation Officer (10/22/2024)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) approve a two-year Hardware as a Service (HAAS) agreement with Hayden AI Technologies, Inc. (Hayden AI) for automated bus lane enforcement in an amount not-to-exceed $705,000 annually; (2) approve a two-year agreement with Duncan Solutions for enforcement processing in an amount not-to-exceed $200,000 annually; and (3) authorize the City Manager to approve up to three optional one-year extensions for each of the Hayden AI agreement and Duncan Solutions agreement.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The California Vehicle Code (CVC) prohibits the parking of vehicles in transit lanes and at transit stops. Vehicles parking in transit lanes and at transit stops create operational inefficiencies for the movement of buses along transit corridors. A vehicle parked in a transit-only lane will slow travel times, as the bus must maneuver around the parked vehicle or wait for the vehicle to move. A vehicle parked at a transit stop also impacts transit operations, as bus operators must find an alternate way to safely allow passengers to board and alight from the bus.
Vehicles that are illegally parked in transit lanes or at transit stops are commonly short-term deliveries or pickups, such as food delivery vehicles, TNC operators (e.g., Uber), and couriers, rather than long-term parked vehicles. While they may create a short-term nuisance in the moment, they can create a compounded impact on transit travel speeds and perceptions of public safety.
With the new configuration of the downtown corridor, non-transit vehicles traveling or parking in the mobility (shared bus and bike) lanes may also impact the level of comfort and perception of public safety for cyclists. The intent of the mobility lane is to limit vehicular travel in this lane to trained bus operators, who receive ongoing training on how to operate transit vehicles when cyclists are sharing the lane.
The MOVE Culver City project deploys the principles of the “Three Es” paradigm of road safety: Engineering, Education, and Enforcement. These three elements complement one another to create a safe environment for multiple modes of travel. As part of the project, Engineering has been addressed through the original and updated roadway configurations. With the completion of construction, the project will launch a robust Education and outreach campaign. The final “E,” Enforcement, can be done through higher coverage from the Culver City Police Department (CCPD) and targeted enforcement operations. However, there are limited personnel resources to enforce during all transit service hours. The Department has therefore explored the use of AI-powered technology to enhance the enforcement of the mobility lanes.
The Transportation Department, as part of its Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Work Plan, is working to deploy automated bus lane enforcement on a portion of the transit fleet to support enforcement efforts. Using automated forward-facing parking control devices mounted on transit vehicles, the City will be able to capture parking violations in transit-only lanes or at bus stops and provide citations for these occurrences. CVC section 40240, updated on January 1, 2022, allows for the installation of these devices through December 31, 2026. The data captured can also identify any potential violation hot spots along the MOVE Culver City Downtown Corridor, which will be shared with CCPD to focus enforcement efforts.
The project will initially equip 10 transit vehicles with the video enforcement devices. Efforts will be made to deploy the buses on routes traveling along the MOVE Culver City Downtown Corridor. Vehicles deployed elsewhere in the system would continue to enforce any parking violations at bus stops. Staff will continue to monitor data and consider expanding to up to 25 vehicles, or close to 50% of the vehicle fleet, based on operational needs and coverage on the system.
Hayden AI Agreement
Staff recommends entering a Hardware as a Service (HaaS) contract with HaydenAI, which will provide AI-powered mobile perception systems and the accompanying software integration, along with the maintenance of the hardware and software. The City would piggyback on a competitive procurement completed by Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), compliant with Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) Section 3.07.055.G. In 2023, Transportation Department worked with HaydenAI to conduct a successful Proof of Concept on automated bus lane enforcement along the MOVE Culver City Downtown Corridor. Staff found the technology to be effective at capturing parking infractions and movement by non-transit vehicles along the mobility lane corridor during this period.
Duncan Solutions Agreement
Staff recommends entering an agreement with Duncan Solutions to provide the back-end enforcement processing of potential violations. Duncan Solutions’ platform would be integrated with Hayden AI’s platform to create evidence packages of potential violations to support the issuance of citations.
This software procurement is exempt from competitive bidding requirements, pursuant to CCMC Section 3.07.055.E. However, Transportation wanted to do its due diligence and solicited quotes from all three companies that have their software platform integrated with Hayden AI: Verra Mobility, Duncan Solutions, and Trellint. In selecting a vendor, cost was a factor, but also responsiveness of being able to deliver the integration based on the Department’s program timeline was also important. Verra Mobility declined to provide a quote as they were not sure they could fulfill the timeline. Trellint did not respond to the request, but Transportation staff was able to obtain pricing information from their work for Santa Monica, which was considerably higher than Duncan Solutions. Duncan Solutions ultimately has the best pricing and a strong track record. Given the time constraints of aligning the start of the enforcement with the updated mobility lanes, the timing to complete build is important.
Optional Extensions of Both Agreements
If the CVC is amended to extend beyond December 31, 2026, the Transportation department would assess the extension of the contract for a one-year period, up to three times, based on the needs of the agency, the costs, and the level of success of the program.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 includes sufficient funding for these agreements in Account No. 20370200.619800 (Transportation Operations - Other Contractual Services), which can be found on page 461 of the budget book. Funds for subsequent years of the agreements would be requested in future fiscal year budgets.
The anticipated cost for the Hardware as a Service would be $150,000 to Hayden AI for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, and between $300,000 (for 10 vehicles outfitted) to $705,000 (for 25 vehicles outfitted) for subsequent years. The anticipated cost for Duncan Solutions includes $10,000 in Fiscal Year 2024-2025 for startup costs to develop and integrate the platform and up to $200,000 annually for enforcement processing which would be funded via a pass-through pricing arrangement. All services will be paid for with Transportation Department funds (Municipal Bus Fund 203). No General Fund dollars will be used.
ATTACHMENTS
None.
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve a two-year Hardware as a Service (Haas) agreement with Hayden AI for automated bus lane enforcement in an amount not-to-exceed $705,000 annually;
2. Approve a two-year agreement with Duncan Solutions for enforcement processing in an amount not to exceed $200,000 annually;
3. Authorize the City Manager to approve up to three optional one-year extensions for each of the Hayden AI agreement and Duncan Solutions agreement;
4. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
5. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.