Guidelines for Sharing Onboard Camera Footage with Swiftly

What is onboard camera footage used for? 

Swiftly uses onboard camera footage to conduct manual passenger counts for the Hopthru Ridership solution. These manual counts (“manual samples,” per the NTD) are required to compare against APC counts for NTD approval, with a target accuracy of 95% or better (no more than a 5% variance).

Even when NTD certification isn’t within the project scope, Swiftly performs manual counts to ensure the highest possible data quality.

Manual count process

Swiftly begins by generating a sampling plan—a list of trips used for manual count comparisons. The number of trips depends on your agency’s size, per NTD requirements, with a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 50 trips. Each plan must include at least one trip per vehicle type and APC model in the fleet.

Depending on access, Swiftly will either: a) Request onboard footage for selected trips, or b) access the footage directly if credentials are provided.

For each trip, Swiftly requests footage with a 30-minute buffer before and after the trip to capture all passenger activity, including layovers and early/late departures. If any footage is unusable or insufficient, Swiftly will regenerate new sample trips and submit a new request.

Once footage is received, Swiftly and our partners manually count boardings and alightings at each stop, comparing results to APC data for accuracy verification.

All manual counts are tracked in Smartsheets, and can be made accessible to the agency’s project team. 

What makes camera footage useful?

To ensure onboard footage can be used for manual passenger counts, it should include:

• Clear visibility of all doors and the full cabin to capture every boarding and alighting event.
• Accurate timestamps to align footage precisely with passenger count data.
• Embedded GPS on a live map (preferred) to track the vehicle’s location during the trip.

Providing Swiftly Access to Onboard Camera Footage

Swiftly can access onboard footage in several ways, listed below in order of preference:

1. Direct Cloud Access – The agency provides Swiftly with credentials to its cloud-based video platform. (Most efficient and preferred method.)
2. Remote Access – Swiftly securely connects via virtual machines to the agency’s on-premise or localized video system to retrieve footage.
3. SFTP Transfer – Swiftly sets up a secure SFTP folder and provides upload instructions. The agency downloads footage from onboard hard drives and uploads it to the shared location. (Ideal when footage is only accessible on-site.)

Common risks 

• Technical limitations: The agency’s camera system may not support external sharing.
• Policy restrictions: Agency or operator policies may limit sharing footage with outside entities like Swiftly.
• Multiple systems: Different camera systems may require separate access methods.

How you can mitigate these risks

1. Connect Swiftly with your onboard camera system manager early.
2. Confirm internal approvals for sharing footage with Swiftly.
3. Start the process early to identify and resolve potential technical or policy barriers before delays occur.

Alternative methods for manual counting

While Swiftly recommends conducting manual counts directly, two alternative methods are available—each with significant risks:

1. Agency-Led Manual Counts (Using Camera Footage)
   The agency performs manual counts using the same process Swiftly follows. Swiftly can provide training and guidance.
   • Risk: Agency staff may lack the experience and accuracy of Swiftly’s trained team, increasing the chance of errors or delays.
2. In-Person Manual Counts (Strongly discouraged)
   The agency or a contractor counts boardings and alightings onboard vehicles.
   1. Risk: Highly prone to human error, difficult to verify, and can compromise data integrity.