Skip to main content

San Diego deploying Apollo Video Technology’s transit camera system

San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), in California, has selected Apollo Video Technology’s RoadRunner MRH DVR and back-end management software for its fleet of transit vehicles.
March 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins

San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS), in California, has selected 850 Apollo Video Technology’s RoadRunner MRH DVR and back-end management software for its fleet of transit vehicles. In the first phase of the project, Apollo will replace existing transit surveillance systems in 246 of MTS fixed-route buses and deploy wireless back-end equipment providing fleet-wide data and real-time video streaming. Ultimately, the four-year contract (base plus three option years) will equip more than 500 transit buses.

The new installation will include the company’s digital video recorders (DVRs), interior and exterior cameras, motion detectors, and wireless local area network (LAN) equipment. The contract also includes vehicle information management (ViM) software which will supply MTS with vehicle status reports, event logs, on-demand video clip retrieval and automated downloads of event video.

MTS undertook an extensive RFP process to select Apollo as the contractor for the project. The RoadRunner system was then installed on four transit buses as part of a 45-day test phase, which was successfully completed this month.

MTS will utilise the MRH8 and MRH12 series DVRs equipped with seven to nine cameras based on the specific bus types.  Each camera system supplied by Apollo will provide MTS with state-of-the-art Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities, allowing transit officials to monitor real-time video and location data. To capture potential incidents occurring inside the transit yards overnight, MTS requested that Apollo include motion detection capabilities to trigger the system to start recording at the first sign of movement. The passive infrared sensor detects any movement inside the vehicle when the bus is turned off.

“The combination of passive infrared sensors and the ViM software will ensure that MTS has top-of-the line video surveillance management while recording activity on the bus at all times,” said Rodell Notbohm, general manager of Apollo Video Technology.

Related Content

  • Why keeping count is so important for traffic management
    November 21, 2023
    Traffic engineers need to have multiple solutions in their toolbox to complete the most accurate and safe data collection programmes possible, explains Wes Guckert of The Traffic Group
  • Hikvision to offer telematics solution
    October 25, 2021
    Gurtam GPS tracking platform integrates with Hikvision mobile cameras and MNVR
  • New York pioneers online mobile real-time bus tracking
    May 22, 2012
    An unusual technology collaboration. David Crawford investigates Early in January 2012, the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) rolled out the first borough-wide implementation of its pioneering Bus Time online mobile real-time tracking service. The system allow commuters to track each bus on every route in real-time on the internet, via smartphones and by text messaging to a mobile phone. The MTA chose Staten Island for its first live launch due to it being the only one of the five Ne
  • Cardiff implements further camera technology to reduce congestion
    December 20, 2016
    Cohort business and road technology specialist SEA has been awarded a further contract by the City of Cardiff Council to help the Welsh capital to reduce the congestion impact of traffic growth. SEA’s ROADflow technology will be used to provide nearly 30 Flexi and Motion road traffic camera systems, plus Vision vehicles, to enforce yellow box-junctions and bus lane regulations. This latest order will double the number of bus lane cameras to about 20 and deploy a further five yellow box-junction cam