This Week in Passenger Transport
A Passenger Transport Special Report:
As the world reels from the deadly terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon, Sept. 11 will certainly be remembered as a day that changed the nation forever.
Throughout the ordeal, the nation’s public transportation community has had much the
same reaction as the general population: shock, anger, sadness, and an overwhelming,
immediate desire to help.
While the industry and APTA members deal with the entire range of personal and
professional tragedies, public transportation has once again shown that it is uniquely
positioned to respond quickly, reliably, and efficiently to a crisis. As in many other
times of crisis in the nation’s history, transit agencies played an important role in
moving people away from affected areas, delivering them where they needed to go, and doing
what they could to restore calm.
A new sense of resolve against terrorist acts appears to be settling in as the
country’s leaders ponder how the nation’s transportation system could be
corrupted and used to commit these acts of violence. There is also a sense that safety and
security in transportation may be changed for a long time.
"Our system has been severely burdened by the stress of these horrendous attacks,
but we will recover," said Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta in a Sept. 12
statement. He noted that U.S. DOT is working closely with the White House and appropriate
federal agencies to mount a coordinated, nationwide recovery effort.
Public transportation systems throughout North America are pulling together to assist
their communities in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of New York’s World Trade
Center and the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., across the Potomac River from Washington.
"As each of us faces our own personal losses, we should take solace and gain
strength from knowing that the transit industry has been vital in easing suffering and
providing assistance," said APTA President William W. Millar. "On behalf of the
Executive Committee, I want to recognize our colleagues in the transit industry who have
put themselves at risk and done so much to help their communities."
In New York
The twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center were developed by The Port
Authority of New York and New Jersey, the independent bi-state authority that oversees
tunnels; bridges; Kennedy International, LaGuardia, and Newark International airports; bus
and marine terminals; and the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH). Within the
last few months, the Port Authority agreed to lease the towers and underground mall to two
real estate companies for 99 years.
Several APTA members are known to have offices in the World Trade Center including the
corporate offices of PATH, which has its main transportation operations offices in the
Journal Square Transportation Center in Jersey City, N.J. Additional APTA members with
offices in the twin towers include Washington Infrastructure Services, Inc.;
TransitCenter, Inc.; Siemens Transportation Systems, Inc.; Union Switch & Signal Inc.;
and Carter & Burgess, Inc.
PATH issued this statement to Passenger Transport on Sept. 13: "Mike
DePallo and the staff of the Port Authority’s PATH Rapid Transit System would like to
thank transit properties around the country for their concern and support following the
attack on the World Trade Center.
"During the first hours after the attack, PATH was one of the few links for people
who needed to travel between New York and New Jersey.
"Our staff is working around the clock to ensure that the system continues to
provide first-class, reliable transportation during this difficult period."
Also on Sept. 13, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey released a
statement saying, in part: "Port Authority police are continuing intensive search and
rescue efforts in and around the site of the World Trade Center tragedy, in close
coordination with New York City Police Department, the Fire Department of New York, and
other federal, state, and local authorities. More than 150 Port Authority Police officers
have been working around the clock at the scene. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the
victims, their families, and the thousands of rescue workers, medical personnel, and law
enforcement officers who have responded to this tragedy with impressive dedication and
heroism.
"As of 10 a.m.[Sept. 13], more than 200 Port Authority staff remain unaccounted
for, including approximately 35 Port Authority police officers and commanders who were
actively engaged in evacuation and rescue efforts. The agency is committing its full
resources to locate and rescue missing Port Authority employees, and all other victims of
this terrible act of treachery." The statement was made by Ernesto Butcher, chief
operating officer of the Port Authority.
Before the attack, PATH operated two lines terminating at the World Trade Center,
beginning in Newark and Hoboken, N.J., and two routes to 33rd Street in Manhattan,
beginning at Journal Square and Hoboken. The routes to 33rd Street are on a different
track from those that served the World Trade Center.
As of Sept. 13, PATH is running trains on three modified routes: Hoboken to 33rd
Street, Newark to 33rd Street, and Journal Square to Hoboken.
MTA New York City Transit President Lawrence G. Reuter told an APTA official on Sept.
13 that NYC Transit personnel are working around the clock as part of the rescue effort in
the vicinity of the World Trade Center. Many of the agency’s buses are being used for
the relief and recovery efforts in the area.
As of the morning of Sept. 13, NYC Transit buses were providing regular local service
throughout Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, and north of 14th Street in
Manhattan. Most subway service was operating, although some lines were being diverted, and
all stations in Manhattan from Canal Street and south of Canal Street were still being
bypassed. Reuter noted incidences of collapsed subway tunnels, severe flooding, and one
line closed because the structural soundness of nearby buildings is uncertain.
Commuter rail service had been interrupted on MTA Long Island Rail Road and MTA
Metro-North Railroad on Sept. 11, but regular weekday service resumed the following day.
According to news reports, NYC Transit’s subway operations had scattered
third-rail and signal power outages about an hour after the first plane struck the World
Trade Center. At 10:20 a.m. on Sept. 11, transit officials halted subway operations--the
first time the subway had been shut down since the city’s power blackout in July
1977. Most of the system, except for the trains under lower Manhattan, returned to
operation by 2:30 p.m.
Ken Miller, a spokesman for New Jersey Transit Corporation, said NJ Transit was able to
resume bus service to New York’s Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan on
Sept. 13. All NJ Transit buses into and out of New York City were shut down the morning of
Sept. 11 because of the closing of all tunnels between the city and New Jersey, and of the
bus terminal.
NJ Transit continued to operate rail service into Manhattan’s Penn Station until
10:30 a.m. Sept. 11. Four rail lines were affected: the Northeast Corridor, North Jersey
Coast Line, Midtown Direct, and Raritan Valley Line. According to Miller, Amtrak also was
not operating on the Northeast Corridor at that time.
"We did not start to resume service until about 3:30 in the afternoon [on Sept.
11]," Miller said. "We had to make sure our tunnels were structurally sound.
After that, we did a ‘load-and-go’ service out of major terminals, only
operating westbound. On the Hoboken Division side, we also kept running trains. Again, we
were picking up no passengers going eastbound. We were prioritizing westbound service and
bringing back the trains empty."
By Sept. 12, Miller said, NJ Transit was able to resume its regular commuter rail
service. Bus service resumed operation on Sept. 13, but two NJ Transit bus routes that
serve lower Manhattan were still shut down. He added that NJ Transit is cross-honoring
passes from other area transit systems.
In Washington
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority reported Metrorail ridership of
445,038 between opening and 6 p.m. on Sept. 11, about 40,000 fewer rides than the previous
Tuesday. WMATA closed its stations at the Pentagon and Reagan National Airport until the
following day, and rerouted the Yellow Line away from its bridge across the Potomac River.
The system also provided buses to help transport those injured at the Pentagon to area
hospitals, and provided several Metrobuses to assist D.C. Metropolitan Police in moving
personnel to various locations throughout the district.
"The citizens of this region should be proud of how they handled themselves,"
said WMATA General Manager Richard A. White on Sept. 12. "People who traveled on
Metrorail and Metrobus yesterday--to reach loved ones, return to their homes, go to work,
or for other reasons--did so in a calm, orderly fashion. While there was undeniable shock,
there was no panic."
White also recognized Metro employees "who stepped up and delivered their usual
excellent service to thousands of our customers throughout the day. Even when the city was
under siege, Metro employees--including our transit police officers--kept the region
moving, safely and efficiently."
Even before the attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, WMATA had set up a special command
center following the attacks in New York, which monitored operations closely and remained
open for much of the day, said Fred Goodine, chief safety officer with WMATA. The command
kept in close contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, fire departments, and
other law enforcement agencies in the region.
The center heightened system surveillance, alerted tactical police, and sent sniffing
dogs to find suspected explosives at stations, Goodine said, noting that WMATA received
tips of three suspicious packages seen in the system. Certain Metrorail station entrances
were closed, and buses were delivered to areas where they were needed.
After the Pentagon was struck by a hijacked airliner, WMATA closed the Pentagon
Metrorail Station and delivered engineers to assess the structural damage.
Goodine explained that WMATA is well prepared to deal with this type of emergency
situations through emergency drills, spot checks, and much training. Emergency
preparedness is an important priority at WMATA, he added, because Washington is "a
ground zero," a prime target for terrorist attacks. The agency assumes the issue of
attacks on the nation’s capital is a matter of "when" rather than
"if," he said.
Amtrak, Virginia Railway Express commuter rail, and the Maryland Transit
Administration’s MARC commuter rail shut down their rail service shortly after noon
on Sept. 11. VRE and MARC resumed limited service in mid-afternoon, operating at reduced
speeds. Amtrak also began operating on a modified schedule late in the day.
The Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission in Prince William County, Va.,
about 25 miles south of Washington, implemented its emergency service plan after learning
of the attack at the Pentagon. The buses meet passengers at two Metrorail stations outside
the city and take them to points south, and also provide backup service for VRE.
Sheila Larson, PRTC director of marketing and communications, shared the following
thank-you note from a passenger:
The person was writing "to make OmniRide aware of a bus driver who deserves
special recognition from your company. This bus driver’s name is Mr. Davis, and he
ran the 9 a.m. commuter bus from the Route 123/Woodbridge park-and-ride lot [in Prince
William County] going to the Pentagon/Washington on Tuesday, Sept. 11. While we were on
I-95 en route to Pentagon, we witnessed the plane crash into the Pentagon. And from that
point on, we were on the bus being routed through Crystal City and Arlington until 1:30
p.m., when we finally reached I-95 again. The bus operator’s patience was
extraordinary with other drivers as well as with the passengers on the bus. He assisted in
any way he could. At one point, he was trying to get dispatch to attempt a call to the
husband of one of our elderly passengers, who was experiencing a lot of anxiety. He waited
on the bus for people who had to use the restroom along the way, since we were on the bus
over four hours. There were also people who hailed down our bus while we were going
through Crystal City and, even though they weren’t going to our destination, it was
at least getting them back to Prince William. Under such extraordinary and stressful
circumstances, I just wanted you to know your bus operator really did a great job."
Transit Around the Nation
Outside New York and Washington, cities around the nation instituted additional service
as federal office buildings and downtown businesses shut down on Sept. 11.
Pittsburgh’s Port Authority of Allegheny County reported overload on its buses and
light rail vehicles before noon. Additional vehicles were placed in service, including
about 10 buses designated to bring people stranded at the Pittsburgh International Airport
into downtown. The city’s downtown subway operations were shut down at 3 p.m. as a
precautionary measure, with shuttle buses connecting the subway stations to light rail at
South Hills Junction.
In Seattle, Sound Transit provided an extra trip on Sounder commuter rail during the
afternoon. Additional ST Express buses were on standby for possible overflow service.
The Bi-State Development Agency in St. Louis showed solidarity with the victims of the
World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist acts by displaying the American flag at
half-staff, and programming the destination signs on the 570 buses in its fleet to
intermittently read, "God Bless America."
Stu Nicholson of the Central Ohio Transit Authority in Columbus released the following
statement on Sept. 12: "I think the best thing we can do right now is get the word
out that using public transit is a way to accomplish two things: that yesterday’s
event may have stunned us, but that we’re still standing and going about our business
in spite of this deliberate, evil deed; and a way to send a message to the gasoline
stations and oil companies that raised their prices to unheard-of levels yesterday
evening...price gouging and taking advantage of a national tragedy."
COTA set up emergency express service to ease the early release of Columbus. employees
the afternoon of Sept. 11. Also, extra buses were sent to Port Columbus International
Airport to help people stranded by the grounding of all U.S. flights, and to bring
travelers into downtown Columbus for overnight lodging.
In southern California, Metrolink commuter rail added one outbound train on each of
five routes within an hour of the first reports of office building closures in downtown
Los Angeles. Each train was filled to capacity with departing commuters. Metrolink
accepted any valid fare media from other area transit operators throughout the day on
Sept. 11, and arranged acceptance of its fare media on Amtrak trains traveling on two
Metrolink routes.
"We can also provide encouragement to the country by showing that our systems are
still functioning in spite of the horrific tragedy that occurred yesterday,"
Francisco Oaxaca, Metrolink manager of media and external communications, said in a Sept.
12 statement.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the San Francisco Bay
Area Rapid Transit District also reported instituting security measures following the
Sept. 11 attacks.
The Toronto Transit Commission introduced additional trains on two of its subway lines
for an early rush hour on Sept. 11.
International Outpouring of Sympathy
The impact of the terrorist attacks was felt around the world. Within 48 hours, APTA
received e-mails, faxes, and phone calls from the international public transportation
community.
Hans Rat, secretary general of the International Union of Public Transport (UITP),
wrote APTA President William W. Millar: "It was encouraging to hear that APTA members
in these two great cities are managing to get public transit back in service in a very
short time and served a useful purpose in moving large numbers of people as quickly as
possible….I hope that APTA, its members and, also on a personal basis, yourself and
family, are recovering from the shock of this attack. The rest of the would is also
reeling from the news, and our most sincere thoughts go out to those who lost their lives
though this violent act of terrorism and to their families.
Michael W. Roschlau, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Urban Transit
Association, wrote Millar: "As the initial shock gives way to the emotional suffering
in the aftermath of this most horrific tragedy, we can only try to comprehend—from a
distance—the grief and terror you are experiencing. Many Canadian transit agencies
have been working non-stop to provide transportation and shelter for thousands of
unexpected airline passengers stranded at Canadian airports from coast to coast. At CUTA,
we are also pleased to assist in whatever small way possible.
Jean-Paul Bailly, chairman and general manager of Regie Autonome des Transports
Parisiens in Paris, offered "in my name and in the name of RATP, my deepest
sympathies on the occasion of the great disaster that [struck] your country and which will
probably affect your company in many ways. All of us are revolted by such a terrifying
act. Our saddest thoughts and our prayers are accompanying the victims and their
families."
APTA also has received messages of sympathy from the Swedish Public Transport
Association and the French Embassy, among many others.
Cancellations and Changes in Schedules
As the national tragedies were unfolding in New York and Washington, a number of
transit organizations announced the cancellations of events and meetings around the
country.
Because of the Sept. 11 tragedy and the related shutdown of U.S. air traffic,
Rail~Volution 2001 was not held as scheduled Sept. 13 to 16 in San Francisco. A spokesman
reported that the seventh national conference devoted to building livable communities with
transit may be rescheduled in November or December.
Also canceled is the APTA "Green Technologies Study Mission" organized around
the two-day PROSPER Congress in Karlsruhe, Germany, that was scheduled to leave the United
States on Sept. 16. Members of the mission have been notified of the cancellation.
The Illinois Public Transit Association held its conference in Galena, Ill., as
scheduled from Sept. 11 to 13, but the Indiana Transportation Association canceled its
conference scheduled for the same days in Indianapolis.
Other transit systems postponed or canceled special events scheduled for Sept. 11.
Federal Transit Administrator Jennifer L. Dorn had been scheduled to tour current transit
projects in San Diego and present a federal check for $31.4 million to the San Diego
Metropolitan Transit Development Board, the 2001 incremental disbursement of the federal
Full Funding Grant Agreement to the Mission Valley East Trolley extension. Submedia LLC
and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority delayed their scheduled debut of
advertising in a MARTA rail tunnel that day.
About 25 APTA members from transit systems throughout the country were at APTA’s
offices in downtown Washington at the time of the incident on Sept. 11. They are members
of a working group that is looking at operating standards and practices for rail transit
systems. The group is developing the content for a rulebook that will cover disruptive
events such as terrorism.
When the downtown area was cleared out and the APTA offices closed by late morning, the
meeting participants adjusted their travel plans in a variety of way. Several rented cars,
with one driving as far as Chicago; a few decided to camp out at Baltimore-Washington
International Airport; several decided to visit friends or relatives in the area; and a
few found hotel rooms.
The APTA Reauthorization Task Force had planned a meeting in New York on Sept. 11,
which was canceled. APTA Vice Chair-Government Affairs Richard L. Ruddell, general manager
of the Toledo Area (Ohio) Regional Transit Authority, who had planned to attend the task
force meeting, reported that TARTA was providing free shuttle service to the Red Cross
blood center for residents wishing to donate blood.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority also was offering free trips to people
who took public transportation to give blood at the Red Cross headquarters. The GCRTA
distributed free two-ride passes to Red Cross officials in the aftermath of the World
Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.
The Indiana High Speed Rail Association has announced that its Chicago Area
Transportation Forum on Thursday, Sept. 20, and Golden Spike Seminar on Friday, Sept. 21,
both being held in Gary, Ind., will be dedicated to the victims of the attacks on the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
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