October 28, 2008
TO:
WSTIP Executive Committee
FROM:
Jerry Spears, Deputy Director
SUBJECT: Camera Systems
BACKGROUND
“All modes of public transportation systems, whether urban or rural, bus, rail, or ferry, can benefit from a
comprehensive security system including cameras on the rolling stock. Cameras can be used on small,
medium or large transit systems to monitor the safety and security of passengers, employees, equipment,
and materials. They can also track the operating status of systems, alerting officials to possible delays or
closures. They can also warn officials of possible intentional acts of crime or violence. Agencies can
choose between analog and digital technology. Analog technology can be less expensive, recording at 5
to 20 frames per second. Digital technology records at over 30 frames per second and can be paired with
many other technologies, including Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and remote monitoring. Cameras
can mitigate potential fraudulent claims and at the same time reduce administrative costs when liability is
clear and settlement is in the best interests of all parties involved. “1
WSTIP AND CAMERAS
The WSTIP Board and staff have been evaluating and considering the benefits and costs of camera
systems for the last two years. Several members have made a financial and operational commitment to
adding camera systems to their fixed route fleet including Community Transit, Everett Transit, Intercity
Transit, Twin Transit, and Valley Transit. Each considered multiple vendors, worked out their operational
challenges and ultimately installed camera systems on their buses.
At the direction of the WSTIP President, staff developed a simple web-based survey to capture the
current state of camera interest, commitment and installation amongst all Washington Transits. The
survey focused on the Washington State fixed route fleet only. We received responses from 25 public
transit agencies. We asked 10 questions. We tried to make the survey simple and straightforward. A
summary of the survey results are presented in the next section.
1
1
http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/factsheets/security/secFix_print.htm
SURVEY RESULTS
1. There are approximately 3,004 buses amongst the 25 agencies that responded (Exhibit B)
2. There are 1,582 fixed route buses in the WSTIP fleet (23 agencies, KC Metro and C-Tran are not
included)
3. 472 of the 1,582 buses within WSTIP have some sort of a camera system which is 30%
4. The bulk of the 472 buses with cameras are at Community, Intercity, Everett, and Island Transit
5. There are 1,110 buses in the WSTIP Fixed Route Fleet that don’t have cameras
6. 687 of the 1,110 buses are 10 years or older according to the members (Exhibit A)
7. There are potentially 423 buses that we could put cameras on that are less than 10 years old
(Exhibit A)
8. Kitsap, Pierce, and Spokane are the largest entities that don’t have cameras
9. Pierce has money set aside for cameras but given current economics I doubt they will use it.
10. Apollo Cameras are the most popular vendor for camera systems
11. Apollo has a contract with King County Metro that we could piggyback on or group purchase
with. We have a copy of the contract at WSTIP
12. The average cost of installing a camera system on a per bus basis is 5,221
13. 60% of the transit agencies that don’t have cameras on all buses plan to retrofit the fleet
14. 68% of all transits plan to install camera systems on their new buses
15. The funding mechanism for installing camera systems has ranged from federal grants, state
grants and set aside operating funds
WSTIP ROLE
Transit agencies offered a myriad of responses to this question. However a quick summary of the overall
responses are outlined below:





Grants
Underwriting credits
Group purchasing advantages
Lease/purchase
Best practices for installation and operations
WSTIP DATA
As part of the camera analysis and discussion, staff reviewed loss data from the WSTIP database from
2004 to 2008. We limited the query to fixed route losses during this time period. We broke out the data
by fiscal year and considered only claims payment information by transaction type. Transaction types
would be adjuster fees, attorney fees and expenses, bodily injury payments, property damage payments
and expert witnesses. Staff assumed a 3% to 10% saving in direct costs by transaction type to fixed
route claims if all members had camera systems on their buses. The savings would be from mitigating
fraudulent claims and reducing administrative costs where liability is clear.
Staff believes WSTIP could save up to $200,000 annually (reductions in indemnity and expense
payments) if all members had camera systems on all their buses. (Exhibit C)
2
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff offers two broad policy questions for the Executive Committee to consider. Staff also requests
further direction from the Executive Committee on where to go with cameras.
1. What role would the Executive Committee like WSTIP to play in camera procurement, installation
and operations for fixed route buses?
2. Does the role encompass best practices, group purchasing advantages and/or financial
incentives?
3. Staff would like direction and a recommendation from the Executive Committee as to what is the
next step in the camera review process
4. Should there be a fixed route camera initiative embedded in the 2009 WSTIP Budget? (Initiative
means underwriting credits, lease/purchase assistance, group purchasing facilitation and/or best
practices development)
3
Exhibit A
WSTIP Vehicle Inventory
By Vehicle Year
1940 to 1999
2000 to 2008
Vehicle Count
Member
4
Grand
Total
Asotin
Ben Franklin
Clallam
Community
CUBS
Everett
Grant
2
44
12
169
1
21
5
Grays Harbor
Intercity
Island
Jefferson
Kitsap
Link
Mason
Pacific
Pierce
Pullman
Spokane
Twin
Valley
Whatcom
Yakima
Grand Total
14
24
11
10
75
16
18
8
108
16
68
4
3
42
16
687
Vehicle
Count
Member
Ben Franklin
Clallam
Community
CUBS
Everett
Grant
Grays
Harbor
Intercity
Island
Jefferson
Kitsap
Link
Mason
Pacific
Pierce
Pullman
Spokane
Twin
Valley
Whatcom
Yakima
Grand Total
Grand
Total
23
15
116
6
29
18
16
48
20
10
98
21
25
2
195
10
82
9
12
60
17
832
EXHIBIT B
SURVEY RESPONDENTS
5
Member Agency
Survey Person
E-mail Address
Intercity Transit
Jim Merrill
jmerrilll@intercitytransit.com
Mason Transit
Mike Oliver
moliver@masontransit.org
Yakima Transit
Wayne Parsley
wparsley@ci.yakima.wa.us
Whatcom
paul Schramer
pauls@ridewta.com
Pierce Transit
Joe R Larson
jlarson@piercetransit.org
Skagit Transit
Dennis Digges
ddigges@skagittransit.org
Kitsap Transit
Jeff Cartwright
jeffc@kitsaptransit.com
Spokane Transit
Jim Plaster
jplaster@spokanetransit.com
Island Transit
Shawn Harris
harris@islandtransit.org
Everett Transit
George Baxter
gbaxter@ci.everett.wa.us
Jefferson Transit
Carla Meyer
cmeyer@jeffersontransit.com
Twin Transit
Ernie Graichen
mgr.twintrn@localaccess.com
C-TRAN
Laura Merry
LauraM@c-tran.org
Kitsap Transit
Sheldon Breaux
sheldonb@kitsaptransit.com
King County Metro
Jennifer Hills
jennifer.hills@kingcounty.gov
Clallam Transit
Frank Poulsen
frankp@clallamtransit.com
CUBS
Kevin Merry
jerry@wstip.org
Link
Todd E Daniel
todd@linktransit.com
Grays Harbor Transit
Mark Carlin
mark_ghtransit@comcast.net
Pacific Transit
Tim Russ
pactran@willapabay.org
Valley Transit
Rick White
rick@charter.net
Pullman Transit
Rod Thornton
rod.thornton@pullmantransit.com
Ben Franklin Transit
Allen Walch
awalch@bft.org
Community Transit
Don Burr
don.burr@commtrans.org
Grant Transit Authority
Greg Wright
greg@gta-ride.com
EXHIBIT C
FIXED ROUTE Data
Transaction Data
Payments by Fiscal Yr
AVERAGE PER YEAR
Type
2004 to 2008
Adjusting
Appraisal Fee
Attorney Legal Fees
Attorney Fees Prior to Suit
131,276
9,189
3,424
68
218,847
17,508
31,154
2,181
Bodily Injury
1,781,436
142,515
Claim Costs
18,884
944
Claimant Expenses
9,989
499
Depositions
7,689
384
28,914
1,446
9,151
458
Judgment
59,149
2,957
Litigation Costs
19,827
991
Mediation Fees
8,588
429
Medical Specials
88,633
4,432
Property Damage
700,764
14,015
51,460
1,029
8,023
401
Rental Car Expense
15,571
779
Total Loss Payment
10,372
726
Towing and Storage
2,556
Expert Witness Fee
Investigation Expense
Property Damage Settlement
Record Copy Services
Wage Loss
Grand Total
NOTES
INCLUDES PIERCE TRANSIT FIXED ROUTE
DOES NOT INCLUDE PIERCE SOUND TRANSIT
6
Camera
Savings
342
3,164,132
200,953
EXHIBIT D
http://www.pcb.its.dot.gov/factsheets/security/secFix_print.htm
Benefits and Costs
Agencies can maximize the benefits of security systems by developing a process for storing and
analyzing data as well as by integrating the system with as many existing and planned technologies as
possible.
Benefits



Costs
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
(SEPTA) equipped four of its buses with surveillance
and monitoring system using digital video. This
resulted in a 32 percent reduction in claims and a $15
million decrease in annual payouts.
All Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(WMATA) stations have at least eight strategically
placed CCTV cameras performing constant
surveillance, which has led to a decrease in crime
rates.
Other benefits include reductions in fare evasion and
assaults on transit-agency property. Transit users
report feeling safer with the presence of security
cameras in stations.




Integrating a security system with other technology
could prove expensive.
Stand-alone cameras may not be as cost-effective as
cameras integrated into a larger security system.
Staffing needs for training and monitoring may
increase.
Additional storage equipment must be purchased to
archive data.
Transit Agency Deployments
Name
7
Contact Information
No. of
Buses
Deployment
Context
New Jersey Transit
2424 Piedmont Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30324-3311
Integrated
security system
Washington
Metropolitan Area
Transit Authority
(WMATA)
600 Fifth St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
1,443
Cameras
installed on 640
buses
Southeastern
Pennsylvania
Transportation
Authority
(SEPTA)
1234 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
1,388
Cameras
installed on 4
buses
Success of Deployment
Provides live and archived feeds
that count customers, detects
dropped bags, tracks intruders in
secure areas such as tunnels and
bridges.
Claims reduced by 32 percent.