SamTrans approved installation of artificial intelligence-based cameras on 235 of its buses to monitor the road and drivers, triggering alerts for concerning behavior.
The agency’s Board of Directors approved a contract with San Francisco-based technology company Samsara to install the dual-facing cameras, one of which will face the road and the other facing the operator. The first camera will use AI technology to alert operators of any potential collision risks, such as an oncoming pedestrian or cyclist, said Omar Brown, acting deputy director of Safety at SamTrans.
“At the same time, the camera does face the operator, and that can identify distracted and high-risk driving behavior,” Brown said during the recent board meeting. “That could be anything from the operator closing his eyes or only having one hand on the wheel ... it gives a real-time alert for an immediate correction to the operator.”
Brown also added that the new technology will serve not just as a safety mechanism but also a coaching tool for drivers, especially as the agency has seen an increase in accidents.
“[Previously], if there was an accident or incident, like if they ran a red light, what would happen is they would be removed from service, they'd be disciplined and would lose money while they're out of service, and they'd have to be retrained,” Brown said. “This shifts the focus from reactive disciple to proactive coaching.”
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The move isn’t the first time a Peninsula transit agency has adopted AI-based monitor systems to track potential safety concerns. At the end of 2024, Caltrain partnered with RailSentry — which uses cameras, light detection and ranging, as well as machine learning technology — to mitigate collisions at some of the crossings. The technology uses machine learning to learn what the behavior of vehicles, individuals and pedestrians should look like at a particular intersection. Once a change is detected — usually by Caltrain-developed settings — RailSentry’s monitoring center is alerted, which then notifies Caltrain dispatch.
As government agencies sign contracts with increasingly advanced technology companies, there has also been more scrutiny to ensure the firms continue to use the data appropriately. According to the contract, Samsara will not be able to access the footage without SamTrans’ permission though some board members still called for regular audits.
“As with any technology, we need to make sure we have some guardrails,” said Jeff Gee, SamTrans board member and Redwood City councilmember, during the board meeting. “I would ask that there be an audit of the Samsara storage of the data, so that it’s not shared and so that only we have access to it, and there are repercussions if they do share data inappropriately.”
The Samsara subscription costs $79,000 annually. The board unanimously approved the contract.
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