The Metropolitan Council in Minneapolis/St. Paul is implementing the Nextiva Transit video solution from Verint Video Intelligence Solutions. The Metropolitan Council, which oversees transit operations in the Twin Cities’ seven-county metro area and already leverages Verint’s Nextiva Transit on its Metro Transit bus and rail system, invested in the video security technology in August 2009 to help enhance passenger and operator safety onboard its paratransit Metro Mobility fleet and other contracted bus routes.
The Metropolitan Council is the premier planning agency for the Minneapolis-St. Paul region and is responsible for planning and operating the majority of the transit system in the metro area. In total last year, Metro Transit provided nearly 82 million rides; Metro Mobility provided 1.2 million rides; and other contracted routes provided 3.4 million rides.
Transit ridership has grown in recent years in the Twin Cities area. To help keep pace with demand, the Metropolitan Council recently launched a modernization initiative focused on crime prevention and safety. As part of the agency’s efforts, it selected Verint Nextiva to help update selected portions of the transit system’s security infrastructure—replacing existing analog recorders with a reliable, scalable and flexible IP video platform. In the initial phase of its planned multi-phase fleet-wide initiative, the Metropolitan Council is deploying Nextiva Transit onboard 257 buses.
“The Verint solution will provide state-of-the-art surveillance capabilities to the region’s fleet,” says Arlene McCarthy, Metropolitan Transportation Services Director for the Metropolitan Council. “Most importantly, the video security solution will support the Council’s commitment to providing best-in-class safety and service to our customers.”
The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning organization for the seven-county Twin Cities area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington Counties). The Council runs the regional bus and light rail system, collects and treats wastewater, coordinates regional water resources, plans regional parks and administers funds that provide housing opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals and families. The Council board is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor.
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