How New Public Transportation Technology Is Prioritizing Passenger Safety
We've got some great deals going on right now exclusively for our online customers... chat now to hear more! Author: Rachel Engel,Date published: September 18, 2025,Each year, Americans take on buses, light rail, subways, trains and other public transit modalities. So it's not surprising the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $, with priority areas of public safety, climate, transport equity and investing in new public transportation technology. Though traveling by public transportation is generally considered to be safer— when compared to traveling by personal vehicle—public safety remains a priority for passengers. An earlier survey of lapsed riders found that 87% said . As technology has advanced, innovative and affordable solutions give public safety agencies the flexibility to update their current software and security measures to state-of-the-art programming and equipment. Learn how technology can help provide passenger safety and security in public transport. One of the reasons public safety remains a top priority for both officials and passengers alike is a . New public transportation technology can play a part in helping to address this increase. Real-time is a relatively new public transportation technology that can provide additional data to help public safety officials and transit operators and managers make more informed decisions. Cameras capture high-quality video, which can be analyzed to identify unusual or abnormal behavior and trigger alerts. Video analytics can also alert public transportation drivers when the vehicle is at capacity in near real-time, further prioritizing passenger safety. Through the , public safety and transit officials have access to more data than ever before. This has produced a number of interesting technology use cases. Designed to make commuter rail safer, (PTC) is a communication-intense technology to track train movements and monitor rail tracks for risks, such as unsafe speeds or a mainline switch in an improper position. The data the sensors collect on the rails and locomotives is analyzed in near real-time. The PTC can then automatically trigger a train's braking system if high speeds are detected, or it can prevent a collision with another train on the line. Because of high population density, urban city centers are at a . The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate is working on a collaborative project with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and other public safety partners to test in a New York City subway station, grading the programs' effectiveness in detecting hazards. The project's goal is to use this new public transportation technology to decrease the time it takes public safety leaders to detect and confirm pathogens, some of which can take 12 to 36 hours to positively identify with current technology. Using GPS tracking, fleet managers can track mobile assets in real time to improve utilization, monitor operator behavior, and increase safety and security in public transport. A majority of fleet professionals utilizing the technology (65%) , according to the Verizon 2022 Fleet Tracking Trends Report. After implementing the technology, respondents reported an average 14% decrease in accident costs as well as a 10% decrease in labor and fuel. By investing in new public transportation technology that prioritizes real-time data or advanced processes for detecting threats, operators and managers can have the best available information when making safety decisions on behalf of passengers and crew. Verizon's network can provide speed and low latency to those on the front lines and is designed to withstand extreme conditions. Discover more about how working on the front lines in their mission to protect and serve our communities. ,Call sales,Chat with us,Have us contact you,Get updates,Already have an account?,* Required,The information provided will be used in accordance with our terms set out in our . Please confirm you have read and understood this Notice,Verizon may wish to contact you in the future concerning its products and/or services. If you would like to receive these communications from Verizon, indicate by selecting from the dropdown menu below. Please note that you can unsubscribe or update your preferences at any time. By submitting the form, you are agreeing to receive insights, reports and other information from Verizon and affiliated companies in accordance with our . California residents can view our California Privacy Notice . These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. We use both third party and first party cookies for this purpose. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly. These cookies may be set through our site by Verizon and third parties. They are used to present Verizon advertising on third party sites that you may visit. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising from Verizon. BackClear Filters,All Consent AllowedWe use technologies to collect and share information about your use of our site. By continuing, you agree to the use of these capabilities for a better experience and other purposes. Learn more in our .
Learn more