Transit News
September 13, 2006
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The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) applauded the U.S. Senate’s action yesterday to amend H.R. 4954, the Port Security Improvement Act of 2006, to include $3.5 billion for transit security over three years.
“This action by the Senate is a big step in the right direction towards ensuring that the millions of Americans who use public transportation every day are as secure as possible,” said William W. Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association. “In particular, I want to thank the co-sponsors of the amendment who made sure that transit security would not be left out of this legislation.”
In addition to Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) and Ranking Member Paul Sarbanes (D-MD), who led the effort to get the amendment adopted, the bipartisan co-sponsors of the amendment include: Wayne Allard (R-CO), Robert Bennett (R-UT), Charles Schumer (D-NY); Barbara Boxer (D-CA); Jack Reed (D-RI); Robert Menendez (D-NJ); Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY); Joseph Lieberman (D-CT); Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); and Rick Santorum (R-PA). Also, APTA commends Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) for her support for this amendment.
“Since September 11, 2001 the federal government has allocated less than $400 million to transit security, yet the American transit industry knows that it needs at least $6 billion to meet the security needs of its customers,” said Millar. “We are hopeful that this amendment will build the momentum for continued significant investment for transit security.”
The transit security amendment requires that the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) award grants directly to public transportation agencies for allowable capital security improvements. These improvements would include tunnel protection systems; perimeter protection systems; redundant critical operations control systems; chemical, biological, radiological, or explosive detection systems; surveillance equipment; communications equipment; emergency response equipment; fire suppression and decontamination equipment; global positioning or automated vehicle locator type system equipment; and evacuation improvements.
In addition, the legislation would allow grants to be used for security training for employees, including: bus and rail operators, mechanics, customer service workers, maintenance employees, transit police, and security personnel. The grants also could be spent for live or simulated drills; public awareness campaigns for enhanced public transportation security; canine patrols for chemical, biological, or explosives detection; and, in some cases, overtime reimbursement for security personnel.
The House version of the port security bill does not include provisions for transit security investments. If the Senate version with the amendment for transit security is passed by the full Senate this week, a conference committee will need to resolve the differences between the two bills.
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APTA is a nonprofit international association of 1,600 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.
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