A pair of assembly bills (AB) have been signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom that give greater flexibility to Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit) and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) for operations and to be able to set aside affordable housing for employees.

AC Transit’s authority to use forward-facing bus cameras preserved by assembly bill

AB 1837 preserves AC Transit’s ability to use front-facing cameras to enforce parking violations at bus stops and in bus-only lanes.

AB 1837 extends an existing statewide authorization that was scheduled to expire on Jan. 1, 2027. The camera technology is deployed in an effort to deter illegal parking that can slow the flow of buses, interfere with access to bus stops and create safety and accessibility challenges when buses can’t safely align to the curb.

AC Transit began deploying automated forward-facing camera technology along the entire Tempo Bus Rapid Transit corridor in June  2024, targeting vehicles illegally occupying bus-only lanes and blocking Tempo station platforms.

The agency says that the technology proved substantially more effective than the previous manual process, which, AC Transit notes, relied on bus operators to identify potential violations by pressing an onboard button. In August 2024, AC Transit expanded the program to 100 buses across its service areas, each equipped with two small forward-facing cameras mounted on the windshield.

Violations declined with forward-facing camera enforcement

Recent data compiled in partnership with Hayden AI, the Bay Area-based developer of the camera technology, show a significant decline in violations.

• Bus-only lane citations fell from 1,241 in the second quarter of 2025 to 631 during the same period in 2026, a decline of nearly 50%.
• Bus stop citations also declined, falling from 5,207 in the second quarter of 2025 to 4,068 in the second quarter of 2026, a reduction of more than 20%.

“I thank Gov. Newsom for taking action to make public transportation safer and more accessible. Vehicles illegally stopped in bus-only lanes or blocking bus stops create more than an inconvenience. They delay service, disrupt trips and can create serious risks for riders with disabilities and other vulnerable riders who need safe access to board and exit our buses,” said AC Transit General Manager and CEO Salvador Llamas. “I am immensely proud of AC Transit’s collaboration with the California Transit Association and [the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority] to sponsor and advocate for this legislation, which will undoubtedly improve the daily journey for riders across California.”

The agency says that AB 1837 was authored by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles), with Senator Jesse Arreguin (D-Oakland) serving as principal co-author and was advanced through the Legislature with bipartisan support.

The Transit District also says it’s grateful for regional support of continued automated bus lane and bus stop enforcement, including from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the city and county of San Francisco and the Alameda County Transportation Commission.

Santa Clara VTA employees now allowed affordable housing preference under new law

AB 2263, authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra (D-San José), has been signed into law by Gov. Newsom, allowing the Santa Clara VTA to set aside affordable housing for its employees.

“AB 2263 gives [Santa Clara] VTA an important new tool to support the dedicated employees who keep our transit system moving every day. By creating workforce housing opportunities near transit, we can help reduce long commutes, strengthen our workforce and support safer, more sustainable communities. We thank Assemblymember Kalra for his leadership in making this possible,” said Santa Clara VTA General Manager and CEO Carolyn Gonot. 

While the Santa Clara VTA says that its employees make competitive middle-class wages, they are living in one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation. The agency says that this high cost of housing has priced many Santa Clara VTA workers out of the area, leading them to long commutes ranging from one to two hours one-way. AB 2263 gives Santa Clara VTA the authority to set aside affordable housing for its workforce so they can have improved livelihoods with shorter commutes.

“As a former chair of the [Santa Clara] VTA Board of Directors, I was honored to author this bill and thankful to see it signed into law. Setting aside workforce housing in the robust transit-oriented developments that [Santa Clara] VTA is already taking on will significantly benefit our region by enhancing housing affordability, reducing emissions from commutes and improving road safety,” said Assemblymember Kalra. “I look forward to seeing these developments built in our Assembly District 25 and beyond.”

The legislation is effective Jan. 1, 2027.