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The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) Board of Directors approved at its March meeting the installation of artificial intelligence–enabled safety cameras on 235 SamTrans fixed-route buses, expanding the agency’s efforts to reduce collisions and improve safety for passengers, operators and the public.
The board authorized a contract with San Francisco-based Samsara Inc. to provide dual-facing AI dash cameras and cloud-based services that help identify unsafe driving behaviors, increase operator awareness of pedestrians and support incident review and training.
The system includes cameras that face both the roadway and the bus operator. Using AI technology, the cameras can detect risky conditions and trigger alerts that help improve driving awareness while also capturing video that can be used for safety analysis and operator coaching.
“This technology gives our operators additional tools to stay aware of their surroundings while helping us better understand and prevent incidents,” said SamTrans Acting Deputy Director of Safety Omar Brown. “Improving safety for our riders, employees and everyone sharing the roadway remains a top priority for SamTrans.”
Key benefits of the AI safety cameras include:
Detecting unsafe driving behaviors
Improving operator awareness of pedestrians and road users
Supporting post-incident review and safety analysis
Enabling supervisors to provide timely safety coaching and training
Under the agreement, Samsara will provide hardware, software, installation, training and cloud-based video services for the buses. The contract has a three-year base term not to exceed $240,000, with an option for up to three additional one-year extensions totaling up to $240,000.
The annual subscription cost for the service is approximately $79,000, with a one-time shipping cost of $2,000 in the first year. Funding is included in the agency’s Fiscal Year 2026 and 2027 operating budgets and will be incorporated into future operating budgets.
SamTrans staff evaluated several vendors through a competitive cooperative procurement process and determined that Samsara provided the best value based on pricing, features and managed services.
Deployment of the cameras builds on the agency’s previous experience using AI-enabled dash cameras on contracted bus services and reflects SamTrans’ continued investment in safety technology.
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The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) operates 74 bus routes, two on-demand service areas and paratransit, serving more than 10-million riders annually. Funded in part by a half-cent sales tax, the District also provides administrative support for Caltrain and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority.
Serving San Mateo County since 1976, SamTrans is celebrating 50 years of connecting communities, supporting mobility, and advancing public transportation throughout the county. SamTrans is proud to have twice been named Outstanding Public Transportation System by the American Public Transportation Association, recognizing the agency’s excellence in safety, service, operations, and innovation.
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