KSHB 41 Traffic anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers all sorts of transportation topics across Kansas City. Have a story idea to share or a question about something in your neighborhood? Send Daniela a news tip.
A new pilot program next month hopes to explore the benefits of installing AI-powered cameras on RideKC buses.
The new cameras will be installed on Kansas City Area Transportation Authority Max buses along Prospect, Troost and Main streets.
Last month, SafeSpace announced KCATA will be part of their pilot program which uses an AI-powered platform that integrates video, audio, and sensor analytics to enhance situational awareness and support proactive safety measures.
The company says the goal of the pilot project is to enhance safety on public transit ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Kansas City will host several matches.
"What the cameras will do is they're going to be able to analyze faces, analyze behaviors, and basically allow us to better respond to incidents that may occur on the bus," said Tyler Means, KCATA's chief mobility and strategy officer.
During a June finance committee meeting, the KCATA Board of Commissioners were told that at least five cameras will be placed on certain Max buses and the cameras would evaluate riders' actions, look for banned riders or missing persons against uploaded lists and alert authorities of any additional threats.
The cameras will be placed on Max routes which are among the most popular routes in Kansas City, seeing thousands of riders daily.
The KCATA says the pilot program will help improve response time and could cut down on security costs.
"When passengers get on the bus, they are going to know that we're doing everything possible to ensure their safety," said Don Bowlin, KCATA's chief transit experience officer.
But what about privacy concerns?
KCATA says access to feeds will be stored on secure servers, and access to the camera feeds will be limited. Footage will also only be stored for a limited amount of time before it's archived and eventually erased
"It's audio and movement, so if somebody begins acting aggressive, maybe moving rapidly, yelling, not moving, it can detect that and say the behavior has changed, and allows us to monitor that incident, where we can open up a live camera feed and look at it, or if it's person striking a person, it can notify security immediately," Means said.
Traditional cameras are already in place inside KCATA buses, with signs alerting riders that cameras are recording aboard each KCATA bus.
As of late July, contract negotiations are in the process of being finalized between KCATA and SafeSpace. Security funding through the State of Missouri is being used to support the initial pilot program. Depending on its success and future funding, the program could expand to the entire fleet.
"The game-changing piece of this is if we can upload the Missing and Exploited Children list, we can upload any, any criminal lists that are out there and have an opportunity to make this space a safe space for the entire region," said Bowlin.
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