Transdev Deploys SmartDrive Rail at Cincinnati Bell Connector to Ensure Passenger and Fleet Safety

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- (American Public Transportation Association Annual Meeting) -- SmartDrive Systems, a leader in video-based solutions that reduce risk, improve safety and support transit agencies' ability to comply with rail regulations and their own guidelines, announced today that Transdev North America, the largest private sector provider of multiple modes of transportation in North America, has selected SmartDrive Rail for deployment on the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcars, managed by the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority. In addition, Transdev has expanded its portfolio of safety offerings to include the patented SmartDrive Rail program. Since 2011, Transdev has deployed SmartDrive's solution on over 7,000 vehicles across agencies nationwide.

"Within a week of deployment on the Cincinnati Bell Connector, we clearly saw the benefit of video safety for rail," noted Ken Westbrook, president, Transdev Rail. "Having already experienced firsthand the positive impact SmartDrive has had on our bus lines, we predicted great things with the streetcar rollout and SmartDrive didn't disappoint. We look forward to introducing the solution to our rail customers."

Rail operators face an increasingly risky operating environment as cities become more congested and look to transit agencies to help solve a range of transportation challenges through the use of rail—be it light rail, streetcars or heavy rail. Streetcars face unique safety challenges because they often share the same roads as cars and trucks. With distractions on the rise for both pedestrians and drivers, transit agencies are exposed to significant risks in this mixed-use environment—particularly at crossings, intersections and other locations where motorists, rail cars and those on foot are in close proximity.

SmartDrive is deployed across the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar fleet, which operates on a 3.6 mile loop and shares the road with other vehicles. Transdev selected SmartDrive based on its proven track-record over the past six years with the company's bus transit customers. With SmartDrive Rail, Transdev is able to protect the Cincinnati Bell Connector operators in this challenging mixed environment. With the SmartDrive video safety program, Transdev customers have reduced collisions and improved safety while delivering a smooth ride for passengers. 

"We commend Transdev on its commitment to a program that leverages the most advanced technology available to support its customers' efforts to protect operators and keep riders safe," stated Jason Palmer, president of SmartDrive. "Our longstanding collaboration with Transdev is a testament to the value of our solutions and we are extremely proud to work hand-in-hand with this highly respected transportation provider."

SmartDrive Rail helps customers manage the challenging urban operating environment by capturing collisions and identifying operating risks and compliance issues. When an issue occurs, event video is immediately offloaded and management is notified within minutes of an incident, enabling them to respond appropriately to the situation as quickly as possible. The solution's triggering capability integrates with rail-specific safety systems including positive train control, automatic train protection and track brake systems. This enables SmartDrive Rail to understand when a vehicle is functioning outside normal parameters, capturing event video that is then reviewed and scored for risk by rail safety analysts. The video, along with the identified safety risks and other pertinent data, is prioritized for coaching and available through a web interface. SmartDrive Rail is the only solution that provides an end-to-end managed service, validating and scoring risk, prioritizing for the customers and escalating to management in the event of a collision.

"Protecting operators, pedestrians and motorists has always been at the top of our priority list," added Transdev's Westbrook. "Within the first few weeks of deployment, SmartDrive has already provided immediate value—delivering better insight to the risks our operators face and supporting several incident investigations." 

In June 2016, SmartDrive received a patent for its innovative rail triggering technology and has three additional patents pending for its SmartDrive Rail solution. SmartDrive Rail was released in spring 2015 and is also deployed at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro), the second largest transit agency in the United States.

About Transdev
Based near Chicago, Transdev is the largest private-sector operator of multiple modes of transit in North America, including bus, rail, streetcar, paratransit, shuttle, and sedan and taxi services. Globally, Transdev operates public transportation in 19 countries. Transdev is committed to being the trusted partner of cities, transit authorities and airports through quality execution and innovations in mobility. For more information, go to www.transdevna.com.

About SmartDrive Systems
SmartDrive Systems, the recipient of Frost & Sullivan's Customer Value Leadership Award for Video Safety Solutions, gives fleets and drivers unprecedented driving performance insight and analysis, helping save fuel, expenses and lives. Its video analysis, predictive analytics and personalized performance program help fleets improve driving skills, lower operating costs and deliver significant ROI. With an easy-to-use managed service, fleets and drivers can access and self-manage driving performance anytime, anywhere. The Company, which is ranked as one of the fastest growing companies by Deloitte's Technology Fast 500™, has compiled the world's largest storehouse of more than 140 million analyzed risky-driving events. SmartDrive Systems is based in San Diego, Calif., and employs over 500 people worldwide.

For more information on SmartDrive Systems, please visit www.smartdrive.net.

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