Legal Implications of Video Surveillance on Transit Systems

TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Legal Research Digest 52: Legal Implications of Video Surveillance on Transit Systems explores the use of video surveilance systems on buses, trains, and stations. The widespread use of such video surveillance systems has generated numerous legal issues, such as a system’s ability to utilize video to discipline union and non-union employees, safety issues associated with such use, public access to such video, and retention policies regarding video, among others. This digest explores federal and state laws to address these issues, along with the current practices employed by transit agencies to comply with those laws.

The report appendicies are available online:
Appendix A: List of Transit Agencies Responding to the Survey
Appendix B: Survey Questions
Appendix C: Summary of Transit Agencies’ Responses to Survey Questions
Appendix D: Compendium of Federal and State Statutes on Audio and Video Surveillance
Appendix E: Documents Provided by Transit Agencies