Mass Transit - 33

passenger flow as agencies start
to see increased ridership.
" Our solutions have helped
operators to increase capacity
from 25 percent to 50 percent
while still respecting social distancing, " said Hodkinson. " These
kits can help maximize capacity
while simultaneously maximizing
passenger protection. "
However, mitigating the
spread of viruses and bacteria
isn't the only safety concern. On
a more technological side, Bombardier Transportation has also
developed the Obstacle Detection
Assistance System (ODAS) that
can detect and track obstacles
while warning the driver about
potential risks. This can be installed on new vehicles or retrofitted onto existing fleets.

Andrew Grahl

feel comforted that every effort
has been made to reduce and dilute airborne aerosols. "
Brookville Equipment Corporation Manager of Applications
Engineering Jason Maher echoes
these thoughts and mentions similar advancements, such as UV
lighting and improved filtering
integration, has been discussed
with clients for the company's
Liberty Streetcar offering.

Creating New Solutions
to Address Renewed
Safety Concerns

Outside of improved air quality
and surface cleanliness, suppliers are rolling out additional applications to address pandemic
concerns while also developing
technology solutions to increase
the overall safety of streetcars.
One way Alstom is addressing
safety concerns as it relates to the
pandemic is partnering with internationally recognized scientific
institutions such as Bureau Veritas
to develop a Healthier Mobilityâ¢
portfolio of ready-to-implement
and in-development solutions.

" [Additionally,] where many
agencies have adopted UV lighting as part
of cleaning operations, Alstom is actively
investigating permanently embedded UV-C
lighting within the interiors of rolling stock. "

-NOAH HEULITT, vice president, Rolling Stock
Business Development, Alstom North America

" These solutions preserve
health and limit the impact on
the environment while maintaining equipment reliability,
specifically in the domains of
cleaning and disinfection; contact surfaces; air treatment and
contactless passenger/transit
interfaces and passenger density
and flow, " said Heulitt.
Bombardier Transportation
has also developed a set of new
applications in response to the
pandemic, which features a variety of retrofit kits for vehicle and
operations teams that include
hand sanitizer dispensers, Lexan
partitions, as well as signage to
help with social distancing and

Utilizing Existing
Safety Features
in a New Age

While advancements in technology are taking off and new
cleanliness solutions are in development, it's important to note
several existing safety features,
like video monitoring, automatic passenger counters and
even seating materials, have a
newfound purpose in the age of
COVID-19. A year ago, these applications that once were security
solutions are now helping agencies show customers the system
is clean and sanitary.
" There are many existing technologies that we are being asked
about that could help mitigate
pandemic effects, " said Buncher.
Such features include automatic door opening, capacity monitoring and live video feeds-all
of which were applicable prior to
the pandemic for security purposes but can now help address
social distancing and mask wearing compliance. Additionally,
Buncher explains there's a renewed
interest in utilizing more remote
capabilities, such as implementing
software applications for remote
maintenance and operations.

NOVEMBER 2020 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit |

33
http://www.MassTransitmag.com
Mass Transit

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Mass Transit
