Bus Camera Footage of EF4 Tornado in Henryville, Indiana

Video Surveillance Cameras To Be Installed on More New York MTA Buses

As part of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s effort to prevent criminal activity on buses, 1,576 buses will be equipped with Bus Camera Security Systems (BCSS). Approximately 300 running buses are already running with installed video cameras.

The security system includes multiple cameras installed on standard 40-foot buses and 60-foot articulated buses. The cameras remain active as long as the bus is in service, capturing footage and uploading it wirelessly to the bus depot server.

“Video surveillance is a vital element of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s ongoing effort to maintain a transit network that is as safe and secure as possible,” said NYC Transit president Thomas F. Prendergast in a press release issued by the MTA. “Bus cameras offer a visible crime deterrent, while also providing a state-of-the-art electronic tool that will aid in the investigation and prosecution of criminal activity aboard the vehicle.”

Two MTA buses are seen on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, March 26. The MTA is planning to install additional video cameras on buses in order to help prevent criminal activity. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Originally, only 426 buses were to be installed with the cameras in a contract with UTC Fire & Security. However, the growing numbers of transit worker injuries may have contributed to the adding of 1,150 buses to the contract.

A city hall hearing held on Nov. 1, 2011 revealed that 69 transit workers had been physically assaulted in the first nine months of 2011, compared to 57 during the same period in 2010.

“We don’t want to go back to the 70s and 80s, when people were afraid to ride on buses and subways,” said Councilman James Vacca during the November hearing.

The original contract included hardware and software installations in nine bus depots and the current option will allow for similar installations in 12 additional depots and three servers.

The installation process started in February last year, after the initial contract was signed in December 2010.

“We have been looking to install bus security cameras for the last several years,” said an MTA official. “We have finally identified the technology that is suitable.”

MARTA Transit Security Deploys Apollo Video Surveillance System

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has selected the RoadRunner™ on-board video surveillance system and Vehicle Information Management (ViM™) Software from Apollo Video Technology (Apollo Video) for its fleet of approximately 1,000 transit buses, trains and mobility vans. The surveillance system is designed to enhance safety and security for MARTA riders and employees by deterring criminal activity and serving as an investigative tool for the system's police force.

"Installation of the new vehicle security camera system will provide us with an additional resource for investigating criminal activity and nuisance behavior for the safety of MARTA employees and customers," says MARTA Police Chief Wanda Dunham. "These cameras will also contribute to MPD's "See Something, Say Something" campaign and will assist with crime prevention and homeland security efforts."

Installation is scheduled to begin later this year with all vehicles expected to be outfitted by 2014. The $17 million project is a result of a 2011 formal procurement, which was approved and officially announced at a March 5 board of directors meeting in Atlanta.

The deployment demonstrates the agency's initiative and dedication to enhance MARTA with the latest technology to increase safety and reduce crime throughout the Authority. The Apollo Video system will allow MARTA law enforcement personnel to monitor live video feeds and better respond to incidents on-board agency vehicles, at stations and transit stops.

"MARTA is ensuring safety and security on-board its vehicles and Apollo Video will provide, what we believe will become a benchmark for the industry," said Rodell Notbohm, general manager of Apollo Video Technology. "The DVRs and back-end fleet management software will provide MARTA officials and law enforcement with the highest level of information exchange, real-time video streaming and a robust archiving system."

Apollo Video will equip transit and rail vehicles with digital video recorders, wireless network equipment and back-end fleet management software. Interior and exterior cameras will be placed throughout recording up to 11 cameras on-board each vehicle. Apollo Video's ViM Software is designed to provide a sophisticated back-end solution for organizing recorded data and increasing accessibility to more agency employees. The ViM Software will work seamlessly with current and future installations of Apollo Video systems deployed at MARTA, extending the lifetime of MARTA's technology investments.


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