RTA Installing New HD Cameras on All Buses

March 25, 2016 For Immediate Release

CONTACT: Jessica Heffner (937) 425-8352, Marketing Manager

(DAYTON, OHIO)… The Greater Dayton RTA will soon be one of the first transit agencies in the nation to have a “live look in” to the activities inside and outside any bus. The agency is installing eight HD cameras on each fixed route bus, and seven on each paratransit vehicle.

Hundreds of new high-definition cameras will mean better security for both passengers and drivers. While RTA now has up to four cameras on each of its fixed route buses, the current technology does not allow the “real time” video information RTA Safety & Security would like to respond to – or even anticipate – when it comes to on-board issues.

“The safety of our customers and our drivers is important to us,” said Deputy Chief Operations Officer Brandon Policicchio. “The camera upgrade project is one component of a much larger communications upgrade that will help ensure the safety of every passenger and every driver,” he added.

Eight cameras are being installed on each bus: two outside, one forward-looking through the windshield, and the others focused to the interior. Inside audio feeds and recording will allow the activity and sound to be monitored live and recorded. The combination of cameras will allow an unobstructed view of everything inside the bus.

RTA has almost 200 fixed location facility cameras throughout the transit system. The addition of 8 watchful eyes to each fixed route bus, and seven cameras added to every paratransit vehicle will mean 1,973 additional cameras throughout the agency. The high definition and infrared digital video from the cameras is easily captured, transferred and stored.

In the transportation business, increased surveillance is considered the most important method to deter crime. When measuring the impact of their new cameras, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) reported a 26% decrease in serious crimes in the first quarter of 2014 (compared with the same period the previous year). CTA believes their increased camera surveillance is the reason.

The 24 new Gillig 1600 buses are the first of the 181 fixed-route buses and 75 paratransit buses that will have the upgraded camera technology installed. The quality of the video (4-G network with 1080P and 720P streams) will allow high-resolution visual and auditory interaction between a supervisor and a driver in real time, even in low light.

The target for complete installation onto the RTA fleet is June 2016.

The camera upgrade allows quick response for RTA supervisors as well as Dayton police, firefighters and paramedics. It is part of a larger Intelligent Transit System (ITS) improvement that RTA has put into motion, and is projected to be complete by fall of 2016.

Media will be invited to a live demonstration once installation is complete.

For more information, see our website and sign up for route alerts: i-riderta.org . Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/gdrta , or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/iriderta .

RTA is Ohio’s greenest fleet, and serves 3,300 stops on 31 routes throughout Montgomery and parts of Greene County. The agency operates diesel, hybrid diesel, and electric trolley buses that take people to work, school and shopping. Customers ride RTA on more than 9 million passenger trips each year. RTA is committed to providing the highest levels of customer service as the region’s first choice for alternative transportation.