Video for Transportation: Exploring Recent Use Cases

Denver’s Regional Transportation District (RTD), the organization in charge of mass transit across the Greater Denver Area, has started exploring new applications of video in their trains and buses. Collectively called the “live look-in” system, these cameras live stream video from across the RTD’s transportation network. Trained system users then scour these feeds for signs that might point to safety or security concerns. They can also assist RTD police in identifying subjects and their whereabouts.

It should come as no surprise that a major transportation authority would want a firmer handle on public safety. Many similar organizations also utilize cameras for this same reason. However, Denver’s RTD is taking it to the next level with the volume of live feeds they are balancing and their plans to put even more cameras in trains and buses as they work to expand the network.

As popular uses for video extend beyond simple video surveillance, it’s worth exploring how various departments of transportation (DOTs) and similar bodies are putting it to work.

 

Automated Traffic Cameras

Traffic cameras (traffic cams) are cameras located strategically along roadways and at intersections with the intention of monitoring traffic flow and other conditions.

These are not to be confused with road safety cameras (e.g. red-light cams) which are specifically used to enforce rules of the road by taking photos in response to certain triggers. The former records a continuous stream while the latter focuses more on high-resolution still images for the purposes of capturing license plate numbers and other identifying information.

 

Where Does the Video Go?

The video content from traffic cameras is stored and viewed in a variety of ways. Sometimes it’s stored locally on the camera itself. Sometimes it’s sent into a cloud-location for storage. It will also often get streamed live for viewing by employees or, in some cases, for the general public. This video is not typically monitored live except for in specific circumstances.

 

How is the Video Used?

As previously stated, traffic cams are used to monitor traffic flow and conditions. Strategic monitoring of traffic cameras can tell DOTs:

• Where and when congestion is more likely to occur.
• High-risk locations for traffic accidents.
• Optimization opportunities for roadways and intersections.
• Information for evacuation route planning.

However, as the video for traffic cameras improve, they’ve become increasingly more effective for security and surveillance needs. Traffic cams can be played back in response to accidents or criminal activity to gather more information, including but not exclusive to license plate numbers. Other safety applications include:

• Intersection and crosswalk analysis for blind spots.
• Dynamic rerouting of emergency vehicles in response to roadway conditions.
• Dynamic adaption of evacuation routes in response to city-wide emergencies.

 

Traffic Cam Automated Applications

As our use of traffic cameras evolves, many DOTs have started exploring the use of artificial intelligence or other automated tools.

• Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPM) refers to the use of traffic cameras to assess intersection efficiency and control traffic signals in response to flow, congestion, and other factors.
• Car counting involves a computer reading visual data to more accurately measure/quantify traffic flow.
• Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALCR), also referred to as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), refers to software that lets cameras capture license plates and send that information along with time stamps and location information to the appropriate authorities.
• AI-enabled traffic analysis makes it easier to measure and predict traffic patterns.

While traffic cameras themselves aren’t a new development, private and public organizations are finding new ways to use them.

 

Motion Sensor Enabled Cameras for City Buses

Cameras on buses should come as no surprise, but how they’ve been used has evolved in recent years. They’ve often been employed for security purposes, helping to discourage disruptive behaviors and playback incidents for law enforcement. However, they’ve recently started being used to promote operational efficiency as well.

Motion sensor enabled cameras are typically positioned at the doors for buses or subway cars. They use infrared sensors to read body heat as passengers enter or exit the vehicle. Combined with video data, they can estimate how many people are boarding and leaving at each stop with reasonable accuracy.

 

How This Information is Used

If it’s not actively being used for fare enforcement, then why does it matter how many people are getting on and off a bus? Overcrowding can lead to both safety and logistical concerns. If a bus is over capacity, then there’s an increased risk of injury, especially if there’s an accident. Overcrowding can also cause delays as people struggle to get on and off buses in a timely fashion.

Certainly, bus drivers can perform manual counts as people board the bus and pay their fare. However, it’s impossible for them to know how many people are existing at any given stop, especially if back doors are opened to speed things along. These cameras are far more efficient and accurate while also freeing drivers up to focus on other matters. They alert the drivers when a certain number of riders is reached, and the driver can make choices accordingly about when to stop and who to let on.

 

Other Bus Camera Developments

Motion sensors are a fascinating contribution to bus cameras, but they aren’t the only new development in that arena. Some city buses are being outfitted with CMS Smart Vision. These high-definition cameras are being used in lieu of traditional rear-view mirrors because they offer better visibility. The images are viewed on an interior display, making it easier for bus drivers to spot hazards and avoid accidents. Additionally, some buses are being equipped with front cameras as a way of car counting and mapping traffic flow in much the same way as traffic cams, but from a more dynamic angle.

 

Parking Management Cameras

Now that we know car counting, time stamping, and license plate recognition are all viable camera functions, it’s not hard to guess why they might be useful for parking management. A few well-placed parking cameras could almost run the whole place themselves by cross-referencing license plates with information about people who have paid and tracking the length of the vehicle’s stay.

Of course, that’s just the beginning. Analysis of vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow patterns can help optimize the layout and directional signs within a parking area. Companies who manage these spaces can be alerted to periods of higher and lower congestion, adjusting prices or hours of operation accordingly. All-in-all, the future of parking management could be safer and more efficient for management and customers alike.

 

Road Construction Monitoring

Road Construction Monitoring offers a slightly different perspective on surveillance and efficiency. Some professional services organizations have taken to using live video feed to monitor efficiency and safety practices among road workers. At its most basic, this involves a handful of strategically placed video cameras to be viewed at hoc by off-site project managers. However, the applications for this are much broader reaching than just monitoring worker efficiency and compliance from afar.

 

Improved Project Management and Quality Assurance

There are a variety of ways in which these cameras can improve the overall project management process, including some that are unique to the angles these cameras provide.

• Strategically placed cameras can offer important angles on construction work that may help viewers identify issues or problem areas that would otherwise not be obvious.
• General QC checks will be easier to perform frequently without continuously sending people out to the work zone.
• Stakeholders can rest assured that work is on track and to specifications by having a view into the project.

 

Safe Monitoring from a Distance

Road construction sites that are otherwise not being monitored or may be in hazardous locations can be checked in on with ease thanks to these “digital eyes.” In cases where workers are working under hazardous conditions, those viewing the feed can alert emergency services as needed. This remote monitoring can also help in cases where a natural disaster has left a site unattended and it needs to be evaluated for integrity and safety.

 

Bus and Train Station Cameras

Again, this may not sound like anything new on the surface, but these cameras have come a long way from being simple security monitors. They are starting to be outfitted with technology that lets them analyze foot traffic flow at various times during the day. This includes people counting and crowd estimates to help avoid overcrowding during peak hours.

In some cases, they are also pairing with law enforcement, recording incidents and notifying authorities when a need arises. In this way, they are still security monitors, but they have a more dynamic role to play than just being a reservoir for imagery to be played back only upon request.

 

Another Look at Live Look-In

This brings us back to Denver’s live look-in system mentioned at the start of this article. This more dynamic approach to public transit security adds a human element and can sync with local law enforcement, making for a more dynamic and proactive approach to public safety both on vehicles and in stations.

 

More Than Just Video

Video for roadways and security purposes is nothing new. However, the increased reliability and low-latency of live video has improved greatly over the years. Combine that with additional functionality, like car counting, AI-driven analysis, and heat sensors, and there’s no question that video for transportation and similar use cases has evolved significantly in recent years.

Consider what video could be doing for you!