INDUSTRY WATCH
from various angles and with sensor data
that indicates if the vehicle was breaking,
accelerating to one side or another, etc.
This can help shed light on events that could
impact the transit agency’s reputation. It
can be shown that the late bus was delayed
by construction or that the bus driver was
not at fault in the traffic accident.
Having all this data is great, but just as
important as capturing the data is the ease
with which it is captured and then shared.
When an incident occurs, time is often of the
essence. Being able to retrieve onboard data
efficiently can make the difference between
an informed response to an incident and an
inadequate one.
How can transit agencies use
technology to provide safe journeys
for their customers, while also having
the right systems in place to ensure
efficient operations?
Technological solutions to passenger safety
and efficient operations start at the system
architecture level. The system put in place
throughout a transit agency needs to be
designed as an open platform because
technology advances so quickly.
There are a large number of technologies
that can improve passenger safety: unified
onboard video surveillance, SIP-based
emergency intercoms, incident detection
video analytics, restricted area sensors and
more. However, the solutions of today may
not be the most efficient tomorrow, which
means a transit agency needs to be ready
to invest in adding new solutions as they
become available. By limiting a system to
proprietary, closed solutions, certain transit
agencies are limiting their future options.
Overall, technological advances allow
sensors to be used to track and record
nearly anything that happens on public
transit. Area occupancy, passenger behavior,
incident detection, restricted area control,
vehicle health and emergency intercoms
are only certain areas where technologies
already exist to collect information that
allows public transit agencies to secure their
premises for passenger safety.
Can you explain how a unified
system can establish an
infrastructure that facilitates sharing
data while keeping it secure?
A unified system keeps all data normalised
in one location. Security Center and
other Genetec products rely on the latest
cybersecurity practices to secure the data.
By relying on one unified infrastructure,
customers also get a system that is easier to
manage from a security perspective.
There are fewer security patches to install
that could cause compatibility issues. Data
becomes simple to share within the platform
in a secure manner because access to data is
controlled in a granular manner and with the
principle of role-based access to information.
This means a user only gets the data they
need to accomplish their role, no more.
How can transit organizations
benefit from a video management
system (VMS)?
Video monitoring provides visual evidence
of all events taking place on the premises
managed by a public transit agency. By
truly unifying the VMS into one platform like
Security Center, public agencies gain the
advantages of using a single pane of glass
for all their video management. Whether the
video comes from the furthest installation, a
train, a bus or the agency’s headquarters, all
video lives in the same location and uses the
same tools for investigation.
This makes recording retrieval much
easier than having to manage separate
Jermaine Santoya, Industry Marketing
Manager – Intelligent Mobility, Genetec
systems for each different application.
Additionally, an open platform like
Security Center provides users with
the flexibility of choosing their own
hardware and not be limited by a
specific brand or product line.
What are the main purposes of an
access control system?
For transit purposes access control is used
in three applications:
1. Traditional access control: This
is the access control used by most
organizations to give access to staff
to their premises. Think of limiting
offices and maintenance closets in
transit hubs to staff only. Typical
solutions for this involve card readers
and magnetic doors.
2. Restricted area control: This is
intrusion prevention and detection for
areas where no one should be. This
is much more prevalent for agencies
that manage trains or subway
tunnels. In those instances, there are
tracks, tunnels and ventilation shafts
to secure. Typical solutions for this
involve motion sensors, LiDAR sensors
and intercoms for deterrence.
3. Unmanned infrastructure
protection: This is the protection and
monitoring of equipment cabinets
that are left in remote locations.
These cabinets usually hold network
equipment and securing them is both
a physical security priority to prevent
theft and a cybersecurity priority to
prevent cyberattacks through that
network access point.
What are the main benefits
of automatic license plate
recognition (ALPR)?
ALPR technology in transit allows
agencies to track individual vehicles
entering their parking lots. This
information can be leveraged to enforce
parking payment rules, but it can also
be used in collaboration with other
technology partners to incentivise
carpooling and other measures to reduce
the carbon footprint of commuters. •
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