Testing New 'High Tech Security Screening' for Transit Users

Union Station in Los Angeles is featuring the latest in surveillance technology, meant to deter terrorists. The concern might also be that such technology is yet another impediment in the transit user experience.

1 minute read

August 16, 2017, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Screening

Security screenings are more familiar in a private transportation setting. | gyn9037 / Shutterstock

"The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is showing off its newest high-tech security screening system at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles," reports Darsha Philips. The system is designed to "help keep riders safe from terrorists" and was developed in partnership with the Transportation Security Administration and Evolv Technology.

"The portable system can potentially scan 600 to 800 people per hour in real time and will automatically detect 'mass casualty threats,' such as guns, explosives and other weapons," according to Philips.

Not everyone is sold on the idea of adding extra security to the historical crossroads of Southern California. Local journalist Scott Frazier responded to the news thusly on Twitter:

Wednesday, August 16, 2017 in ABC7

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

5 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

7 hours ago - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive