This Week in Passenger Transport
March 24, 2008
Although a new report by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration shows the vulnerability of public transportation and passenger rail systems to terrorist attack, the Bush Administration is funding transit security in Fiscal Year 2009 at a level far below the current appropriated level.
“Regrettably, and despite TSA’s own findings, the Bush Administration’s FY 2009 budget proposal of $175 million for transit security grants is $225 million less than the $400 million that Congress appropriated for transit security in FY 2008,” APTA President William W. Millar said following the recent release of the TSA report. “We don't need another wakeup call. We need the Bush Administration to change course and make a commitment to fund public transit security at a much greater level, preferably at the $1.1 billion level authorized by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 signed into law by President Bush last August.”
“Regrettably, and despite TSA’s own findings, the Bush Administration’s FY 2009 budget proposal of $175 million for transit security grants is $225 million less than the $400 million that Congress appropriated for transit security in FY 2008,” APTA President William W. Millar said following the recent release of the TSA report. “We don't need another wakeup call. We need the Bush Administration to change course and make a commitment to fund public transit security at a much greater level, preferably at the $1.1 billion level authorized by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 signed into law by President Bush last August.”
The report shows how transit and passenger rail are open to possible terrorist attack because of their accessibility to large numbers of the public and the difficulty of securing them. Past attacks on rail systems in Madrid, London, and Mumbai could inspire similar attacks in the U.S., TSA noted.
The Mass Transit System Threat Assessment published by TSA’s Office of Intelligence emphasized that, at the time of publication, it had “no credible intelligence regarding specific plans by any extremist groups or individuals to perpetrate an act of terrorism against the U.S. mass transit system. Extremists, however, remain intent on targeting the U.S. homeland.”
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