Public Transit Security: Public Transit Security: Four Years After 9/11Four Years After 9/11

Eva Lerner-Lam Eva Lerner-Lam Palisades Consulting Group, Inc. Palisades Consulting Group, Inc.

Presented at thePresented at theNYU Wagner Rudin Center forNYU Wagner Rudin Center for

Transportation Policy & ManagementTransportation Policy & Management

66thth Annual Tri-State Transit Symposium Annual Tri-State Transit Symposium Tuesday, October 18, 2005Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Overview of PresentationOverview of Presentation

What’s happened, four years after 9/11?What’s happened, four years after 9/11? 9/11 Commission Findings and “Common Sense” 9/11 Commission Findings and “Common Sense”

RecommendationsRecommendations Congressional Action—and inactionCongressional Action—and inaction Research and Development—big bang for a small buckResearch and Development—big bang for a small buck Education, Training and Drills—win-win for everyoneEducation, Training and Drills—win-win for everyone

What we must overcome…What we must overcome… Political Atrophy Political Atrophy Process vs. technology (both are important, but technology is Process vs. technology (both are important, but technology is

not the “magic bullet”)not the “magic bullet”) ““I can tell you, but then I’d have to shoot you…”I can tell you, but then I’d have to shoot you…” Who’s going to pay for all this?Who’s going to pay for all this?

9/11 Commission Report: 9/11 Commission Report: Key FindingKey Finding

““Lack of Imagination” Lack of Imagination” by people and by people and organizations with organizations with responsibility for responsibility for public safety and public safety and securitysecurity

9/11 Commission Report Findings9/11 Commission Report Findings ““Fighting terrorism was not a high priority”Fighting terrorism was not a high priority” Capabilities of Intelligence, Defense and Capabilities of Intelligence, Defense and

other agencies were constrained by other agencies were constrained by antiquated and ineffective policies and antiquated and ineffective policies and processesprocesses

Inefficient management of government: Inefficient management of government: “The enemy made mistakes; our “The enemy made mistakes; our government wasn’t able to capitalize on government wasn’t able to capitalize on them.”them.”

9/11 Commission Report 9/11 Commission Report Recommendations—July 2004Recommendations—July 2004

DHS should develop an integrated plan to DHS should develop an integrated plan to focus resources in a manner to best focus resources in a manner to best protect all the transportation modesprotect all the transportation modes

Seek improvements in technologies with Seek improvements in technologies with applications across transportation modesapplications across transportation modes

Standardize equipment, data, processesStandardize equipment, data, processes

9/11 Commission Report 9/11 Commission Report H.R. 5040[108]: 9/11 H.R. 5040[108]: 9/11

Commission Report Commission Report Implementation Act of Implementation Act of 2004 – never became 2004 – never became lawlaw

Non-profit Non-profit organization organization 9-11 9-11 Public Discourse Public Discourse ProjectProject is trying to is trying to carry on the efforts of carry on the efforts of CommissionCommission

9-11 Commission’s Public Discourse Project 9-11 Commission’s Public Discourse Project

“Common Sense” Recommendations“Common Sense” Recommendations

1. Radio Spectrum for first Responders

2. Adoption of Incident Command System

3. Congressional Funding Based on Risk and Vulnerability Assessments, not “pork”

4. Complete two critical reports recommended by the Commission and required by the Intelligence Reform Act. A National Strategy for Transportation Security (due April

1, 2005) A report assessing the vulnerability of the national’s critical

infrastructure (due June 15, 2005)

What’s Been Done So Far…What’s Been Done So Far…

A National Framework for Better Integrated A National Framework for Better Integrated Incident ManagementIncident Management

March 2004: DHS March 2004: DHS established a uniform established a uniform set of processes and set of processes and procedures that procedures that emergency emergency responders at all responders at all levels of government levels of government will use to conduct will use to conduct response operations.response operations.

A National Framework for Better Integrated A National Framework for Better Integrated PlanningPlanning

December 2004: DHS December 2004: DHS developed a National developed a National Response Plan (NRP) Response Plan (NRP) that consolidates and that consolidates and reconciles multiple, reconciles multiple, national-level incident national-level incident response plans into a response plans into a single, focused, single, focused, universally understood universally understood strategystrategy

Transit Vulnerability AssessmentsTransit Vulnerability Assessments

Bus, Rail and Ferry Bus, Rail and Ferry Operators have Operators have performed performed vulnerability vulnerability assessments of assessments of operations and operations and facilitiesfacilities

Frequent, Available, Affordable Frequent, Available, Affordable Security Training for Transit PersonnelSecurity Training for Transit Personnel Administered through the National Transit Institute: Transit Explosives Incident Management Effectively Managing Transit Emergencies Transit System Security Transit System Security: Design Review Crime Prevention Through Environmental

Design Threat Management and Emergency Response

to Rail Hijackings Threat Management and Emergency Response

to Bus Hijackings

TOPOFF ExercisesTOPOFF Exercises

TOPOFF 1TOPOFF 1 CO/NHCO/NHMay May

20012001 TOPOFF 2TOPOFF 2

WA/IL/DC/CanadaWA/IL/DC/CanadaMay 2003May 2003

TOPOFF 3TOPOFF 3 NY/NJ/CTNY/NJ/CTApril 2005April 2005

Mixed Results from Research Mixed Results from Research EffortsEfforts

Strong research program sponsored by Strong research program sponsored by Transportation Research BoardTransportation Research Board Updated Powerpoint slides summarizing Updated Powerpoint slides summarizing

program: program: http://www4.trb.org/trb/homepage.nsf/web/sechttp://www4.trb.org/trb/homepage.nsf/web/security#trbppmonthurity#trbppmonth

Lack of coordination and significant Lack of coordination and significant progress by DHS or TSA research progress by DHS or TSA research programs:programs:http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04890.pdfhttp://www.gao.gov/new.items/d04890.pdf

FY 2005 Transit Security Grant FY 2005 Transit Security Grant Program AllocationsProgram Allocations

1 Funding for the Ferry portion of the award is derived from the funds provided for port security

FY 2005 Transit Security Grant Program FY 2005 Transit Security Grant Program Allocation to NY-NJ-CT RegionAllocation to NY-NJ-CT Region

Pending Congressional LegislationPending Congressional Legislation

Placed on Calendar in Senate:Placed on Calendar in Senate: Federal Public Transportation Act of 2005 Federal Public Transportation Act of 2005

[S.907][S.907]

Introduced in House Introduced in House Rail Transit Security and Safety Act of 2005 Rail Transit Security and Safety Act of 2005

[H.R.1109][H.R.1109] Secure Trains Act [H.R.3270]Secure Trains Act [H.R.3270] Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of

2005 [H.R.153]2005 [H.R.153]

Challenge #1:Challenge #1:Political AtrophyPolitical Atrophy

Inability of US Congress to pass Inability of US Congress to pass meaningful legislation for public transit meaningful legislation for public transit securitysecurity

Funding appropriations based on political Funding appropriations based on political influence instead of risks and influence instead of risks and vulnerabilitiesvulnerabilities

Challenge #2:Challenge #2:Over-Reliance on Technology Over-Reliance on Technology

Technology can only go so far; must also Technology can only go so far; must also address Process improvements, including:address Process improvements, including: ““Layered” security throughout the systemLayered” security throughout the system Employee duties adapted for securityEmployee duties adapted for security Securing contractors and supply chainsSecuring contractors and supply chains

Lack of interoperability between systemsLack of interoperability between systems

Challenge #3:Challenge #3:Reluctance to Share Information and Best Reluctance to Share Information and Best

PracticesPractices

Notion that security-related projects must be Notion that security-related projects must be kept secret, even among peers and colleagues, kept secret, even among peers and colleagues, for fear of information falling into the “wrong for fear of information falling into the “wrong hands” (or those of a competitor)hands” (or those of a competitor)

Need to Need to find a wayfind a way to exchange knowledge or to exchange knowledge or we risk unnecessary duplication of effort--or we risk unnecessary duplication of effort--or worseworse

To “win the war” we need to find ways to To “win the war” we need to find ways to communicate with each other on the “battlefield”!communicate with each other on the “battlefield”!

Challenge #4:Challenge #4:Who’s paying for all this security?Who’s paying for all this security?

Partnership between government, private sector Partnership between government, private sector and usersand users

In SummaryIn Summary

For public transit, a lot less progress than we’d For public transit, a lot less progress than we’d all hoped for after 9/11all hoped for after 9/11 Some high level national planning framework Some high level national planning framework

documentsdocuments Some good research by TRBSome good research by TRB Some useful training, exercises and drillsSome useful training, exercises and drills

Need to address some key challenges:Need to address some key challenges: Lack of national leadership and fundingLack of national leadership and funding Difficulty in sharing knowledge and lessons learnedDifficulty in sharing knowledge and lessons learned Re-emphasize importance of Process, in addition to Re-emphasize importance of Process, in addition to

TechnologyTechnology

We need to push ahead We need to push ahead aggressivelyaggressively

For our First Responders…For our First Responders…

We need to push ahead We need to push ahead aggressivelyaggressively

And for our families…And for our families…