Teleste Technology Helps Build Video Security System For The Chicago Transit Authority

Teleste VMX video management, recording and storage solution is the heart of the CTA video system

CTA, the second largest public transportation system in the United States, provides nearly two million rides every day. Since 2005, Teleste has helped the CTA build an IP video transmission, management, recording and storage system that allows operators to view and control cameras during daily operations and to respond quickly in the case of any type of emergency. 

As of today, the CTA system contains approximately 9600 cameras throughout the 146 station platforms, rail lines, garages, bridges, river crossings and on-board rail cars. The latest addition on the security video platform is an on-board and mobile video network recorder (mNVR) for rail cars. Results are indicating that Teleste’s technology is helping, as statistics for 2012 indicate even a 21% drop in robberies. 

Objectives 

As of today the CTA system contains approximately 4000 cameras throughout the station platforms, rail-lines, bridges, and river-crossings. At completion the system will accommodate nearly 4000 cameras for 250 clients. The latest addition on the security video platform is an onboard and mobile video network recorder for metro rail cars. 

The key objectives for the CTA system are: 

• Ability to stop criminal activity as it is happening
• Optimising crime investigations
• Interagency video content exchange
• Easily scalable and maintainable system 

Solution 

Ability to view live video and control cameras across the network, search and view recorded video across the network, access both live and recorded video over the Internet, receive alarms from third-party systems, such as SCADA, respond to alarms in an automated/predefined manner, export encrypted & authenticated video for the prosecution of criminals, share video with other agencies. 

MPEG-4 and H.264 video streaming devices include a comprehensive video recording and storage capacity. System arbitration for fluent multi-client operations at several control sites.

 Field-hardened, fully managed Ethernet edge switches that provide network connectivity. Teleste MPX series MPEG-4 encoders for digitising, compressing and migrating video from analog CCTV cameras to the IP network. All cameras whether analog or IP are seamlessly integrated into the Teleste video management system. 

An onboard video system in rail cars is provided by IP cameras, a PoE switch and a Teleste mobile network video recorder that is specially designed to meet strict vibration requirements. 

Use of video multicasting: only video streams that are being viewed are transmitted over the network (reducing network bandwidth requirements). Additionally, multiple authorized users can simultaneously subscribe to the same streams (as opposed to sending separate stream to each user). 

The heart of the CTA video system is the Teleste VMX video management, recording and storage solution. The VMX solution is based on a distributed architecture, which makes it possible to place servers and other components at any location within the network. 

Benefits achieved: 

• Ability to view live video and control cameras across the network, search and view recorded video across the network, access both live and recorded video over the Internet, receive alarms from third party systems such as SCADA, respond to alarms in automated/predefined manner, export encrypted & authenticated video for prosecution of criminals, share video with other agencies. 
• Onboard video system in rail cars is provided by IP cameras, PoE switch and Teleste mobile network video recorder which is specially designed to meet strict vibration requirements. 
• Use of video multicasting: Only video streams that are being viewed are transmitted over the network (reducing network bandwidth requirements). Additionally multiple authorized users can simultaneously subscribe to same streams (as opposed to sending separate stream to each user). 

As result to increased policing and expanded crime prevention measures, CTA has reported even a 21% drop-down in serious crime in 2012. 

“Teleste was selected for the project based on technology, integration of third-party systems, willingness to meet the CTA needs, and proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale systems.”, Representative, Chicago Transit Authority