DENVER — On the heels of several upgrades to improve rider safety, RTD now has the ability to look inside its buses to give dispatchers a live view of real-time issues.
The Regional Transportation District (RTD) announced on Tuesday all of its buses have been fitted with the technology which also allows dispatchers to both see and hear people and situations unfolding inside.
“The ability for RTD’s public safety dispatchers to view the interior of a bus in real time should provide comfort both to the agency’s operators and to customers,” said General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson in a news release. “The live look-in system presents staff and police with a more granular level of detail as they respond to and resolve emergencies. It is imperative that the public feels safe and secure on RTD buses and properties. With the addition of this system, no one is traveling alone.”
RTD said the technology, which it began installing in 2023 for “emergency situations” will allow the agency to get a clearer picture of safety conditions.
The new system replaces an older system which only allowed dispatchers to listen to audio from inside buses.
RTD said it will use the new equipment to assess safety hazards and that all incidents are “tracked and recorded.”
“There's nothing like a dispatcher looking at the live look-in and explaining over the radio and describing the suspect, who and where he left, what station, what location,” said Israel Laufer, RTD Integrated Security Systems Program Manager. “The operator is busy driving the bus, and the live look-in system relieves the operator from focusing on a precise description: Was he wearing a red vest, a baseball hat, a black shirt?”
Tuesday’s announcement follows other changes to RTD safety, including adding overnight patrols in May.
That change meant RTD Transit Police would patrol 24/7 on light rail platforms, lines and buses.
In March, RTD debuted safety shields on 142 new and 128 older buses. The shields are made of reinforced safety glass with steel to protect drivers from anything thrown.
Earlier this year, RTD launched a pilot program at several of its stations to reprogram elevator doors to stay open until a floor is selected in an effort to limit illegal drug activity.
The Follow Up
RTD sees decline in drug activity at some stations after elevator pilot program
The test program was announced in March at RTD stations Nine Mile, Colorado and Southmoor. At the time, RTD said it had received over 350 complaints at those three stations during the first two months of the year.
Earlier in July, RTD said it had seen a 62.2% decrease in drug activities during the elevator pilot program at the Colorado station.
The Southmoor station saw a 58.4% reduction in the same kind of activity, said RTD.
In addition to RTD buses, around 19% of light rail vehicles have the live look-in technology installed with the remaining to be fitted by June 2027, said the agency.
Denver7's Danielle Kreutter talked to RTD passengers about the new security changes in the video player below.
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