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Safe and Secure; Public Transit Agencies Step Up Precautions

BY BILL MARONI, APTA Senior Program Manager-Communications

It is no surprise that public transportation agencies across the U.S. are implementing heightened security measures following the recent terror attacks in France and Mali. What is noteworthy, however, is the efficiency, professionalism and breadth of effort that is on display—and in some cases purposely concealed—in so many public transit systems and communities.

While no specific threat warning has been issued against any transportation agency in the U.S., members of the public transportation industry have been quick to strengthen security during the past three weeks. Major urban areas, such as New York and Washington, DC (both of which were targeted in some of the latest ISIS videos), are taking precautions, but so too are agencies in many other U.S. cities. Public transit systems of all sizes from ­Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver and San Francisco are intensifying security procedures and reviewing their policies.

For example, public transportation agencies have increased the use of police patrols, K9 units, surveillance cameras, random searches and inspections. There is also a renewed focus on sharing more information among public transit officials, state and local law enforcement officers, the Department of Homeland Security’s TSA, the FBI and through the Public Transit-Information Sharing and Analysis Centers PT-ISAC), of which APTA is a co-sponsor. PT-ISAC provides to its constituency a 24/7 security operating capability that established the sector’s critical information and intelligence requirements for incidences, threats and vulnerabilities. Find details here.

In Washington, DC, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is conducting random screenings at its Metrorail stations and increasing the number of uniformed and plainclothes police patrols. Since the public transit authority provides service to Reagan National and Dulles International airports as well as transportation connections through the Maryland Transit Administration’s MARC trains to Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, officials are taking additional steps to coordinate with the aviation community.

In New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo directed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to step up security throughout the state’s transportation infrastructure, including the New York subway system. Last week, the transit police, NYPD and FDNY staged a simulated attack on a Manhattan subway line in a dress rehearsal involving hundreds of first responders.

“Lessons learned here will certainly be quickly spread throughout the NYPD and fire department of New York City, but also then through Homeland Security across the country,” said the city’s police commissioner William Bratton.

In smaller cities, where public transportation agencies do not have their own dedicated police force but rather rely on local law enforcement personnel, everyone is more attentive. Even before TSA circulated a Security Awareness ­Message, many public transit leaders took the initiative to enhance the frequency and visibility of their “See Something, Say Something” campaigns in an effort to increase awareness among employees and the public.

Working partnerships among small and mid-size transit agencies and local police departments is especially critical today. “In the Denver area, we benefit from having built wonderful relationships with every law enforcement agency in eight counties and 40 ­cities covering 2,400 square miles,” said Transit Police Chief John F. Tarbert of Denver’s Regional Transportation District and chair of APTA’s Committee on Public Safety. “On a regular basis, I share whatever information I can from our region and from security briefings.”

The appearance of more police patrols is an obvious sign of the industry’s vigilance, but just as important are the measures that are not visible to users of public transportation. As the types of safety protocols that are often associated with holidays and special events become more commonplace—and indefinite—public transportation is helping to reassure, protect and prepare millions of people every day. That may be a small consolation during these uncertain times, but it’s our industry’s valuable contribution to public service as we enter the holiday season. As members of the public transportation community and as neighbors, we can be reassured of the efforts being made to keep America safe.
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