Passenger Transport September 9, 2002
By Federico Cura
Reporter
In the year since Sept. 11, 2001—the date of the most devastating terrorist
attack in U.S. history—North American public transportation agencies have enhanced
their security and emergency preparedness efforts to adjust to society’s new state of
normalcy. Although agencies were largely secure at the time of the World Trade Center and
Pentagon attacks and already had emergency response plans in place, the Sept. 11 incidents
energized and prioritized security efforts throughout the industry.
Transit agencies had been working for many years to enhance their system security and
employee security training, partly responding to government standards, APTA guidelines,
and attacks on transit agencies abroad.
For example, the 1995 sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway system caused U.S. transit
properties managing tunnels and underground transit stations to go on high alert. The San
Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, for instance, responded to the possible
threat of chemical weapons attacks by sending a police team to Fort McClellan, Ala., in
1996 to learn response tactics from U.S. Army chemical weapons experts.
In the months following Sept. 11, transit agencies of all sizes worked to identify
where they might be vulnerable to attacks. The agencies subsequently upgraded and
strengthened their emergency response and security plans and procedures, taking steps to
protect transit infrastructure and patrons and increase transit security presence while
giving riders a sense of security.
During the past year, many transit organizations worked to prevent unauthorized entry
into transit facilities. The need for employees and passengers to stay alert and report
possibly suspicious occurrences became a key goal of many agencies. Drilling and training
transit personnel increased while properties forged stronger ties with law enforcement
agencies. Numerous agencies installed digital video cameras and other technologies to
protect transit facilities and rolling stock.
These efforts are paying off. Many transit agencies report being more secure than a
year ago, but suggest that many improvements still are in the planning stages.
Since the attacks, APTA and the Federal Transit Administration have emphasized the need
for effective transit security and emergency preparedness. FTA has sent security resources
toolkits to transit agencies; completed security-vulnerability assessments of the
nation’s largest transit systems; and provided technical support and grants of up to
$50,000 to fund agency emergency drills. Also in the past year, FTA funded
employee-training courses and research.
FTA is currently in the process of conducting emergency preparedness and security
forums nationwide. In emphasizing the importance of enhancing transit security, FTA
Administrator Jennifer L. Dorn noted that thousands of lives were spared on
Sept. 11 in New York City and Washington "because of the quick action of first
responders and transit workers."
APTA has launched many additional efforts in the past year to further transit industry
security and preparedness, collaborating with FTA in developing the emergency preparedness
forums, and sponsoring and organizing security-related conferences and workshops.
Moreover, APTA developed a list of critical safety and security needs faced by the transit
industry, which it then provided to U.S. DOT and the U.S. Congress.
APTA also forged partnerships with federal, state, and local governments to exchange
information furthering public transit security. At present, APTA and FTA are working to
establish a national system enabling the government and transit agencies to communicate
security intelligence in a coordinated manner. APTA also is organizing a list of
security-related programs and resources for transit agencies. When complete, the list will
be posted on APTA’s web site, <www.apta.com>.
Conducting Threat Assessments
On Sept. 11 and in the weeks and months that followed, most transit agencies
examined all possible ways that their systems could be attacked by terrorists. They tried
to identify their weakest points, and where an attack would instill the biggest loss of
passengers, employees, rolling stock, and facilities. These assessments were conducted by
agency staff, contractors, or by the FTA.
Originally set to conduct 30 assessments, the FTA has expanded its program, and to date
has conducted 36 assessments. APTA assisted its members with their individual security
assessments by developing and distributing a checklist for emergency response planning and
security.
The task was challenging at times, given the nature of transit agencies as open and
accessible to the public. However, the agencies completed their assessments and
implemented changes. The assessments represented the first steps taken by many systems
after Sept. 11 in what would become a year characterized by planning and upgrading transit
security.
In November 2001, New Jersey Transit Corporation hired a contractor to perform a
terror-attack vulnerability assessment of its facilities and to establish anti-terrorism
security needs. The contractor identified four levels of training, which the system is
offering to all its employees.
Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Anti-Terrorism Task
Force, under the direction of General Manager Michael H. Mulhern, began a comprehensive
assessment of the system that emphasized threat and vulnerability management.
Some of FTA’s assessments were followed by grants to conduct emergency drills and
improve emergency preparedness. For example, in San Diego, FTA conducted security
assessments for San Diego Trolley, San Diego Transit, and the San Diego
Metropolitan Transit Development Board. The three agencies were given a FTA grant that
will be partially used to develop two emergency critical response drills.
After conducting threat and vulnerability analyses, agencies then upgraded procedures
and incorporated the results into their systems’ security plans.
Upgrading, Strengthening
Emergency Plans, Procedures
Before Sept. 11, reducing crime was a major goal of many transit agency security
plans. The focus changed on that day to include greater protection against the threats
confronting the nation.
MTA Long Island Rail Road established emergency action plans for all major
terminals, office buildings, and maintenance shop/yard locations, according to Jose R.
Fernandez, vice president for system safety. LIRR operations and system safety personnel
also joined with New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority police in
formulating procedural parameters pertaining to suspicious packages, bomb threats, and
biochemical incidents affecting trains, terminals, stations, and other facilities.
Responding to the Sept. 11 events, Portland’s Tri-County Metropolitan
Transportation District of Oregon developed a comprehensive emergency communications
model aimed at quickly conveying information such as service disruptions to riders,
employees, the news media, and others rather than relying mostly on news media for
dissemination.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh drafted a city evacuation
plan that includes specific evacuation points and routes, to be used by all revenue
service vehicles.
The Toronto Transit Commission developed a "security escalation plan"
that identifies different threat levels and levels of response as "yellow,"
"orange," and "red," said Michael Walker, chief security officer. Hampton
Roads Transit in Hampton, Va., created a similar system.
The Charlotte Area Transit System in Charlotte, N.C., reported shaping its
evacuation plans to ensure that any prolonged evacuation would not affect its services.
In Austin, Texas, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working
with other local agencies and groups as it updates its emergency response plan, noted Pam
Rivera, security and administrative services manager.
BART and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation, serving New York City and
New Jersey, both described updating their emergency response plans to reflect the new
terror threat. PATH followed its existing emergency response plan on Sept. 11, evacuating
people from the city and helping to save lives.
The San Francisco Municipal Railway developed a Terrorist Event Response Matrix,
describing actions necessary in the event of a threat or attack in the U.S. under a
variety of circumstances, and reviewed and revised its emergency response procedures.
The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in San Francisco, operator
of Golden Gate Transit, is among the agencies that has tightened its lost-and-found
policy and has begun allowing for the immediate inspection or disposal of items.
To better implement its emergency plan, the Miami-Dade Transit Agency used
e-mail and posted memos to communicate the roles of all staff members in case of
emergency.
Agencies including the Transit Authority of River City in Louisville, Ky.,
focused on developing and implementing effective bomb-threat plans.
Protecting Transit Infrastructure and Patrons
After completing preliminary threat assessments, some transit agencies implemented
new procedures and measures to protect transit infrastructure, assets, passengers, and
employees.
Many agencies modified stations and facilities to enhance security. These new barriers
and physical protection of facilities and assets were often accompanied by increased
transit security presence and surveillance.
New York MTA erected physical barricades at Penn Station in midtown Manhattan to hinder
vehicular intrusion.
Subway station restrooms were closed by many transit agencies, which also removed trash
and recycling bins from underground stations. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit
Authority subsequently replaced its trash receptacles with bomb-containment trash
bins. Some of the efforts undertaken by WMATA and New York City agencies to secure transit
infrastructure were funded by a special appropriation approved by Congress late last year.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority also installed the
bomb-containment trash bins at its stations, and the MARTA Police Department has been
conducting a major fencing and gate repair and installation project to protect system
assets.
Celia Kupersmith, general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation
District and APTA’s first vice chair, said keeping the bridge secure is "a
round-the-clock undertaking" that involves a number of state and federal agencies.
After Sept. 11, Miami-Dade Transit recommended several areas of legislation to help
mitigate security risks in transit settings, including making the carrying of a concealed
weapon on the transit system a felony.
Increasing Security Presence,
Surveillance by Staff
Immediately after the attacks and in the months following, agencies began
redeploying security and police personnel to sensitive areas, or taking steps to expand
their security teams.
New York’s MTA increased police patrols on transit facilities and assigned 24-hour
fixed posts to Penn Station and tunnel shaft/portal locations. Many west coast transit
agencies also increased their police presence in vulnerable areas, and still maintain a
presence on a modified basis.
A number of other agencies reported increasing security agent, transit police, and
staff surveillance of transit facilities, including MTA New York City Transit, the Greensboro
Transit Authority in Greensboro, N.C., Hampton Roads Transit, WMATA, BART, and PATH.
In the past year, NJ Transit introduced uniformed transit police patrols on board its
trains.
The San Mateo County Transit District in San Carlos, Calif., and the Port
Authority of Allegheny County are among the agencies that have hired additional police and
transit security officers.
Transit agencies that incorporated additional canine units into their security teams
include NJ Transit, MARTA, and WMATA. These teams will assist security officers in
searching for bombs, among other things. NJ Transit Executive Director George D.
Warrington said the canine units "expedite police response to incidents on the NJ
Transit system, minimizing any delays to our riders." Also, Amtrak has added 12 K-9
bomb-detection units since Sept. 11.
Making Riders Feel Safe
In addition to building up surveillance, transit agencies implemented outreach
activities to help their passengers feel safe.
WMATA assured its customers and employees that its facilities were safe through rider
communications and posters in Metrorail stations. When anthrax attacks affected Washington
area locations in the weeks following Sept. 11, the system "blitzed our employees and
our customers with safety information to allay their fears," said WMATA Chief
Executive Officer and APTA Secretary-Treasurer Richard A. White.
Additionally, WMATA improved its procedures during that time for responding to hundreds
of reports of suspicious packages and sightings of white powder in the system, White said.
NYC Transit added communications devices that provide a direct link between customers
and transit personnel, installed more and brighter lights at stations, improved off-hours
waiting areas by locating them closer to token booths, and closed off or limited access to
remote staircases, passageways, and corridors in its subway stations.
In Delaware, DART First State increased lighting at its bus stops and train
stations.
The new shelters serving Greensboro Transit Authority bus stops have been equipped with
solar lighting to heighten security for passengers boarding at dimly-lit stops.
Controlling Employee, Visitor
Access to Facilities
While some agencies were taking steps to ensure passenger safety, they also
continued responding to weaknesses unveiled through the vulnerability assessments. Many
restricted employee access to sensitive areas such as transit control centers, dispatch,
and bus storage facilities, and instituted or tightened the use of employee identification
cards.
U.S. DOT’s Transportation Security Administration also has focused on employee
identification issues and access to sensitive areas. TSA is developing a multi-modal
transportation worker identification credential system that could involve hundreds of
thousands of transportation workers, including those in public transit.
Capital Metro restricted access to its headquarters buildings to protect transit
control centers and other sensitive areas. The security enhancements at WMATA’s
headquarters building partly "are designed to provide a safe place for employees to
work and customers to visit," said Police Chief Polly Hanson. BART plans to install
new concrete planters, bicycle lockers, and other items to restrain forced vehicular
intrusion into sensitive areas of its headquarters building, said Paul Oversier, assistant
general manager for operations.
Employee photo identification cards are being required by agencies including Omnitrans
in San Bernardino, Calif.; the Utah Transit Authority in Salt Lake City; and the Phoenix
Public Transit Department. Last fall, Omnitrans required all of its nearly 700
employees to wear the newly issued photo and vehicle ID cards.
Many agencies have tightened their employee ID requirements, including TriMet and
Seattle’s King County DOT, making clear which employees have access to which
facility. After the attacks, UTA created and required the use by each employee, at all
times, of identification card holders to help reduce the risk of intrusion.
Several agencies began requiring visitors to wear ID passes and/or implemented a
sign-in procedure, such as the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority in Dayton,
Ohio; the Duluth Transit Authority in Duluth, Minn.; and Miami-Dade Transit Agency.
Other agencies such as PATH also implemented a contractor-ID program to enhance work-site
security while maintaining contractor flexibility.
The Bi-State Development Agency in St. Louis, MARTA, Port Authority of Allegheny
County, and Phoenix Public Transit Department were among the transit agencies that
installed electronic locks that can be opened using a proximity card or a magnetic card.
Since Sept. 11, Bi-State has installed an automated card system that limits access to
Central Control, the "nerve center" of system operations.
The Greensboro Transit Authority plans to install an electronic lock access system in
its newly built multi-modal center slated to open next year. WMATA recently completed
installation of a "smart-card" ID-entry system at headquarters and at several
field locations. MARTA installed an integrated access control system using proximity card
readers at system headquarters and MARTA police headquarters, while the agency has begun
installing proximity card readers in train control rooms.
All BART employees have been checked against the FBI Watch List. BART also is
finalizing a program that will require criminal background checks for its vendors,
contractors, and employees hired after a certain date.
However, while restricting access to sensitive areas to prevent the kind of violations
that led to the Sept. 11 tragedies, transit agencies also were aware that their employees
and passengers constituted their best resource for keeping a transit systems secure.
Raising Employee and Passenger Awareness
Efforts aimed at increasing employee and passenger awareness of their surroundings
were widely adopted by the industry after the attacks. Many agencies encouraged employees
and passengers to keep an eye out for suspicious people, packages, and activities, and to
report these to the appropriate people.
"We see all of our employees, especially those on the ‘front lines,’ as
having a key role in the war against terrorism and in enhancing the customer’s and
their own safety and security," said Paul J. Lennon, chief of security and law
enforcement for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and
chair of APTA’s Committee on Public Safety.
Many agencies including BART created public education programs following
Sept. 11. NYC Transit fine-tuned an existing program that encourages riders to be alert
for suspicious items or activity. NYC Transit also expanded its "Eyes and Ears"
program for employees, which previously focused on fighting crime. After Sept. 11,
employees were asked to use the program to help fight terrorism by spotting possible
exposure to chemical and biological contaminants, among other things covered in their
training.
Other efforts to raise rider awareness were spearheaded through poster ads, or through
creative ways to distribute security information to system employees such as
e-mail, paycheck attachments, employee newsletters, and letters. Agencies using poster
ads for this purpose include AC Transit in Oakland, Calif., Muni, NYC Transit, and
NJ Transit. Since the attacks, the Duluth Transit Authority has posted signs on all its
buses to remind passengers to be on the lookout for unattended packages and to report
suspicious behavior.
Kupersmith noted that regular public address announcements are made on Golden Gate
Ferry vessels to remind passengers and employees to keep control of their belongings, and
to report "anything out of the ordinary." Amtrak makes security announcements in
its stations and on board trains.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County in Houston entered into a
unique partnership with CrimeStoppers, a national anonymous tip-reporting system. Both
organizations appeal to the public to help identify individuals involved in terrorism.
Agencies also have provided ways to help passengers to report incidents and tips. PATH
has increased police patrols and 24-hour staffing for the passenger-assistance telephone,
while MARTA and cellular telephone companies developed a system enabling passengers to
dial #MPD to connect to MARTA Police.
Many agencies including PATH conveyed the security-awareness message to their employees
through training.
Training and Drilling Become More Prevalent
Raising employee awareness has been an important focus of much of the drilling and
training conducted by transit agencies since last September. New provisions in transit
agency emergency plans require staff to undergo anti-terrorism training and drills.
While agencies have trained and conducted drills for many years, many of them report an
added emphasis since Sept. 11 on drills focusing on hijacking and hostage taking, chemical
and biological weapons, bombs, and other terrorist actions.
Many transit properties have increased the number of drills significantly.
Emergency-evacuation drills, both real drills and tabletop exercises, have increased in
frequency since Sept. 11. Tabletop drills consist of people gathered in a room discussing
a specific type of terrorist-attack scenario, outlining steps they would take and possible
consequences resulting from these actions.
Muni stepped up emergency training and drill efforts after the attacks, and increased
its cooperation with BART, law enforcement, and fire and emergency medical services
agencies. In November 2001, Muni held one of its largest emergency drills—involving
500 people in the roles of transit workers, emergency responders, and passengers—to
practice an emergency evacuation of its entire subway system.
UTA conducted in-house tabletop drills to strengthen transit security in Salt Lake City
in preparation for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, held shortly after Sept. 11.
Capital Area Transportation Authority staff in Lansing, Mich., took part in
three disaster training exercises last September. The first scenario included bombings by
bioterrorists of the Lansing City Hall and CATA’s Transportation Center.
Since Sept. 11, Bi-State implemented a program ensuring that all its security officers
and fare inspectors receive supplemental training in hazardous materials management,
weapons of mass destruction, and operating procedures. King County DOT has been designing
and establishing an emergency-response training course for all tunnel employees to learn
first aid techniques and emergency operations.
Smaller public transportation systems including the Milwaukee County Transit System
conducted emergency drills, which led to changes in the MCTS emergency security plan.
After Sept. 11, NJ Transit’s Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system provided training in
weapons of mass destruction to selected staff. NJ Transit employees later began
specialized training courses that teach how to distinguish real terrorism incidents from
other incidents, and how to respond to both.
In February, the Charlotte system conducted a fire drill test at the Charlotte
Transportation Center, the main transit transfer point for over 44,000 riders daily. The
fire drill included the evacuation of the entire center, including all customers,
employees, and retail vendors.
Capital Metro is in the process of developing training modules to enhance employee
awareness regarding acts of terrorism and to develop guidelines for responding to such
acts.
The South Bend Public Transportation Corporation in South Bend, Ind., was one of
several agencies that trained their employees on how to handle telephoned bomb threats.
Demand increased significantly after Sept. 11 for transit security training courses
offered by the National Transit Institute and the Transportation Safety Institute. Transit
professionals from Phoenix, Dayton, and Louisville were among the participants in NTI
security seminars and courses.
Transit agency demand for FTA security-enhancement resources has been significant,
according to FTA Deputy Administrator Robert Jamison. While FTA offered emergency-drill
grants of up to $50,000 to the top 100 transit agencies, Jamison said 83 of the agencies
applied for and will receive the grants, which total more than $3.3 million.
The FTA grants will be used for conducting joint training and drills with local law
enforcement. "There is no substitute for ensuring that transit employees are trained
in how to identify suspicious activities, and are ready to respond in the event of an
emergency," Jamison said.
"This overwhelming response is a testament to the agencies’ commitment to
ensure that they are prepared to respond in an emergency, and that they are working
closely with the first responders in their community," he said.
For example, UTA has designed and plans to hold four or five drills with local first
responders, which will be funded with a $35,000 FTA grant it received earlier this year.
WMATA recently opened the nation’s first transit emergency training facility for
subway and tunnel emergencies, which it has made available to transit and law enforcement
agencies nationwide. This simulated subway tunnel is equipped with tracks, subway cars, a
platform, smoke, simulated fires, video cameras, and recorders, as well as a control
center to analyze the action live.
Increasing Cooperation with Law Enforcement
One premise of the FTA forums currently underway is improving coordination among
transit and local, state, and federal law enforcement and first-responder agencies. Many
agencies report increased cooperation with first responders—primarily police, fire,
emergency medical services, and hospitals—as well as with the FBI.
Many transit agencies have engaged in training and drills since Sept. 11 that include
local law enforcement, such as AC Transit and LACMTA. Staff at the Lane Transit
District in Eugene-Springfield, Ore., are meeting regularly with city, county, and
state representatives to refine each agency’s emergency response plans to enhance
coordination.
Several transit agencies have begun participating in the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task
Forces, which consist of law enforcement personnel from local, state, and federal agencies
that meet in 44 cities nationwide. Agencies also have joined the U.S. Attorney’s
Office’s Anti-Terrorism Task Force.
Houston Metro has joined both task forces, while the MARTA Police Department
permanently assigned a lieutenant to the JTTF. BART Police and Muni’s security
provider, the San Francisco Police Department, have become active participants in both
task forces in the San Francisco Bay area, and in a third regional terrorism working
group.
The interagency cooperation taking place in Joint Terrorism Task Forces "has
proven highly successful in preventing several potential terrorist attacks," Dale L.
Watson, FBI executive assistant director for Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence,
testified during a February hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Other forms of cooperation have emerged. For instance, Virginia Railway Express,
in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, implemented the Undercover Law Enforcement
Free Fare program: plainclothes law enforcement officers who carry weapons and are vested
with arresting powers can travel free on VRE trains. Greensboro Transit Authority also has
allowed law enforcement personnel to ride its buses for free.
VRE also has prepared a new educational program for law enforcement that includes local
and federal officers stopping a moving train, entering a train controlled by terrorists,
and rescuing hostages. Chicago’s Metra commuter rail system has successfully
trained first responders on train evacuation for many years, using a program of its own.
Since Sept. 11, Capital Metro has trained six City of Austin Police officers to drive
the system’s buses during emergency situations.
Enhancing Transit Security with Technology
In addition to increasing security presence, conducting more training, and
improving coordination, transit agencies have been acquiring technology to better protect
infrastructure, assets, and people.
Many agencies have invested in additional surveillance equipment. Numerous transit
agencies have either installed surveillance cameras on their vehicles and in their
facilities during the past year, or purchased new buses already equipped with cameras,
including C-TRAN in Vancouver, Wash., SamTrans, PATH, WMATA, Hampton Roads Transit,
DART First State, Golden Gate Transit, Phoenix, and CATA. The Charlotte system began
equipping its 285-bus fleet with video cameras in February.
Pittsburgh is planning to install cameras on rooftops to monitor two of its garages in
remote locations, and Greensboro also wants cameras at its facilities. BART has added
surveillance cameras in certain key locations, and plans to install additional cameras at
unsupervised building egresses and loading areas.
Transit agencies also are incorporating other technologies to their bus fleets to
enhance security. Since Sept. 11, more agencies are ordering buses equipped with Global
Positioning Satellite-based Automatic Vehicle Location systems and on-board alarms. The
AVL can help an agency track down a bus that is hijacked, stolen, or damaged from an
accident. The alarm feature can be used by a driver to send a distress signal to system
dispatchers.
DART First State’s buses are equipped with both AVL and the alarm system. Next
spring, WMATA plans to deploy an AVL system on its buses. C-TRAN and DART First State also
have installed or upgraded dispatch radio systems to achieve a more rapid response during
times of emergency.
Burglar/intrusion alarms are also becoming common at transit facilities. WMATA is
preparing to install programmable intrusion systems and perimeter security systems in its
rail yards. BART has installed motion and entry alarms at certain entrances to underground
tunnels and some maintenance access points, and is testing intrusion detection systems
engineered by in-house staff that can distinguish between trains and people entering
underground/underwater tunnels. The Port Authority of Allegheny County has installed a new
subway intrusion alarm system.
Some agencies have begun testing high-tech mechanisms to enhance security. The MBTA
Police Department partnered with FTA to design and implement an interactive virtual
reality simulation system, aimed at training transit personnel and law enforcement in
responding to weapons of mass destruction incidents in different transit modes.
WMATA has begun to study chemical-weapon detection systems in its subway tunnels. After
Sept. 11, the Washington system received federal funding allowing it to expand the number
of stations that are testing these detection systems, so 10 additional stations will be
equipped by the end of the year. WMATA also has worked with federal agencies on biological
and radiological detection systems, and intends to incorporate these once they become
available.
Several agencies have created backup emergency operations centers to be used in case a
major disaster leaves the system’s main operations center inoperable. Because of
Sept. 11, Community Transit in Snohomish County, Wash., has created a Mobile
Command Center: a bus equipped with radio gear and the ability to serve as headquarters
should the agency’s building be damaged in a disaster.
Muni also created a backup center, and gave satellite phones to its senior managers to
use in case conventional telecommunications systems such as cellular telephones fail.
MARTA purchased a mobile command post and equipped it with a communications system that
will allow the agency to communicate with other agencies during an emergency such as a
terror attack. The Port Authority of Allegheny County established an emergency command
center equipped with computers, portable radios, and other equipment needed during an
emergency. SamTrans has improved an emergency operations center that was activated on
Sept. 11.
Focusing on Security at Conferences, in Research
Following the Sept. 11 attacks, APTA partnered with the Mineta Transportation
Institute to hold the first National Transportation Security Summit in October 2001,
attracting approximately 300 federal, state, regional, and local transportation officials
and transit agency representatives from throughout the nation.
APTA also joined NTI and the Amalgamated Transit Union in sponsoring a labor-management
security conference on safety and security issues, held in early summer 2002.
This month, APTA will host the International Transit Security Summit in Washington.
Public transportation organizations from throughout the world—including the Canadian
Urban Transit Association, the International Union of Public Transport (UITP), and
others—will gather Sept. 17 and 18 to share transit security information and to
establish mechanisms for future cooperation on the subject.
A U.S. General Accounting Office report on transit security is in the works, and the
Transportation Cooperative Research Program plans to publish a report later this year
describing anti-terror preparations at British and French transit agencies. This is one of
many TCRP security projects underway, some of which were funded through a $2 million FTA
grant given in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Efforts Paying Off
Following his visits to transit agencies nationwide, FTA’s Jamison said he was
"gratified by the great strides made by transit agencies in being able to prevent,
mitigate, and respond to potential terrorist threats."
An assessment of U.S. security preparedness in a variety of industries, published in
the Aug. 10, 2002, issue of National Journal, gives public transit a grade of B+, placing
the industry sixth out of 69 industries and activities for safety and preparedness.
Nevertheless, the industry must remain vigilant in its efforts as it adapts to
operating in this new environment.
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