THE INTERNET—In today’s litigious world, having a video surveillance system for your mass transit environment, designed to protect passengers and employees, as well as provide forensic evidence against potential lawsuits, can save more money than it costs. This was just one of many messages conveyed during the “Public Transit: Securing Mobile and Fixed Assets” webcast hosted by Security Director News and Security Systems News on Dec. 10. Kenneth Williams, manager of Skyway operations for the Jacksonville Transit Authority, discussed some of the important choices he made when installing an IP-video surveillance system in its unmanned light-rail system and 180 bus line, but he said he had no regrets about the installation after considering the return on investment. 

Installing a video surveillance system in a mobile application requires a lot more considerations than when installing a system in a fixed setting, said Mark Provinsal, executive vice president, strategic marketing and products for Dedicated Micros. For example, equipment must be a lot more durable to withstand a mobile environment. “I definitely do not recommend using a recorder that you would traditionally use in a fixed facility,” said Provinsal. “Due to the amount of vibrations and shocks those devices experience, a standard recorder will not stand up to that over time.” Also, extreme temperature changes and the need to easily disconnect, remove and replace the recorder are important considerations.

The number of cameras as well as their strategic location can also require some creative thinking. JTA deploys seven cameras on each of its buses, ranging from exterior cameras to capture the curbside and street-side activity to interior cameras monitoring passenger and driver activity. In addition, the JTA buses also have a forward-facing camera to record traffic situations, which Williams said has already paid for itself as the agency has used it as evidence during litigation regarding traffic accidents.

While Williams does not deploy a rear-facing camera, Provinsal said that a growing number of transportation agencies are looking to implement such cameras, both to record traffic activity as well as provide drivers with better situational awareness. Rear-facing cameras, coupled with an LCD monitor installed next to the driver, can help drivers back up, for example.

Deciding what angles the cameras will capture is equally as important as the type of cameras used in each location. “The lighting challenges are significant for buses and trains – it’s not consistent – there are headlights and city lamps and indoor areas inside stations,” said Provinsal. “Light inside the vehicles are consistent, but outside, light changes rapidly, so you’re looking at wide dynamic range cameras and IR illumination built into them.”

In addition to capturing video, Williams said JTA also utilizes audio capabilities on its cameras, primarily for investigative purposes. “We use audio on trains and buses and you have to have a good microphone to pick up sound because there’s a lot of background noise, especially on the trains,” he said.

Figuring out how to capture the video has been a work in progress, said Williams. While all the DVRs are equipped with cellular wireless capabilities, which allow those monitoring the video to download it remotely, Williams said it tends to be just as efficient to remove and replace the recorder from the bus or train and download the video manually. However, this is changing, said Provinsal as operators look to automate all these processes.

Utilizing wireless capabilities can improve download procedures, but also allows the agency to work better with law enforcement. While JTA currently is sending police video clips, Williams said the goal is eventually to allow police to access and stream video whenever necessary. Williams said the agency is currently working with its risk management department to develop a memorandum of understanding with law enforcement to allow wireless access to the agency’s system.

And while the largest impediment to installing a video surveillance system is often cost, Williams said that this system has already paid for itself. “We’ve used it to investigate several accidents that definitely would be against us,” he said. “We also found a lost child, so the return on investment is powerful.”