Deterrence, Protection, and Preparation The New Transportation Security Imperative -- Special Report 270 (2002) / Chapter Skim
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2 Transportation System Characteri
2 Transportation System Characteri
Pages 12-28
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From page 12... ...
In other cases, such as commercial aviation, access is more limited, but still not fully closed; access to most airport lobbies, ticket lines, and baggage check-in areas remains unrestricted. Moreover, much of the transportation infrastructure, from airports to highway and rail bridges, was designed and built long before concerns about security and terrorism had arisen.
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From page 13... ...
Widespread use of private cars and motor carriers, for instance, has spurred greater investment in the high way system relative to public transit and railroads. Likewise, travel by motor vehicle and airplane displaced demand for intercity passenger rail service in the second half of the 20th century, prompting increased government spend ing on freeways and airports.
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From page 14... ...
In addition to providing financial support for infrastructure (and now security for commercial aviation) , the federal govern ment's main role is in promoting and regulating safety and environmental performance, supporting research and system planning, and monitoring and reg ulating transportation activity at border crossings and international gateways.3 INTERTWINED WITH SOCIETY AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY Trucks of all sizes distribute to retail outlets nearly all the products purchased by consumers and many of the goods and supplies used by industry and govern ment.
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From page 15... ...
The highway system pervades the lives of Americans, who use motor vehicles for most daily activities and for much of their longer-distance vacation travel. Highways are also used by emergency responders, and both the highway and public transit systems are vital security assets for evacuating people in a crisis and moving critical supplies and services.
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From page 16... ...
LAYERED DEFENSES Transportation security can best be achieved through well-designed security systems that are integrated with transportation operations. The concept of a layered security system, in which multiple security features are connected and provide backup for one another, offers a particular advantage: perfect execu tion by each element in the system is not crucial, as other elements can compensate for human, technological, or other shortcomings; likewise, enhancements to one element can boost the performance of the system as a whole.
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From page 17... ...
Indeed, it is possible that good mitigation, response, and recovery preparations will themselves dissuade terrorists from attacking these targets, since ensuing damage and disruption may be limited. The importance of understanding the characteristics of each type of trans portation system in designing layered security systems is illustrated by the security system concept for shipping containers presented in Box 2-1.
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From page 18... ...
In the United States, some 50 ports can handle containers, but few have built a significant business around them because of the large invest ment required for handling equipment, the need for good connections with highway and rail services, and the economies of scale of warehous ing and terminal operations. The three megaports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and NewarkElizabeth handle about half of all containers entering and exiting the country.
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From page 19... ...
Customs preclears the container with minimal review of documents. Along with thousands of others, the container is transferred to line-haul rail for inland transportation to the point of entry into the U.S.
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From page 20... ...
Containers of most shippers will pass through one or more of these large hub sea ports in the United States and abroad. The corresponding port authori ties and their governments, therefore, are in a position to impose stan dardized requirements on shipment security, reporting, and information sharing that would have a near-universal effect on practice throughout the industry.
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From page 21... ...
Meanwhile, manufacturers, importers, and shipping companies could be required to provide authorities with advance notice of the details of their shipments. Such early notification would give inspectors time to assess the validity of the data using artificial intelligence and data-mining capabilities, and to check for anomalies that warranted closer examination.
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From page 22... ...
Moreover, it is quite possible that the side benefits of such a system, such as a decline in the use of shipping con tainers for the movement of contraband and the efficiency-related benefits of a sound shipment tracking system, would by themselves provide strong incentives for participants to continually maintain and enhance the system. A multilayered means of securing shipping containers, which would require considerable international and private-sector collaboration, is in fact being considered by the U.S.
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From page 23... ...
Nearly all modes of transportation have experienced sharp increases in traffic volumes and changes in their methods of providing services. According to FAA statistics, 13,459 handguns and 1,151 other firearms were detected and 8 confiscated by airport screeners from 1994 to 2000 (personal communication, FAA Office of Civil Aviation Security Operations, May 3, 2002)
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From page 24... ...
As a corollary, security-related technologies and procedures themselves can have wider utility; for example, the matching of airline passengers with their bags could also decrease the incidence of lost luggage, and closed-circuit television surveillance and undercover patrols by security personnel could reduce ordi nary crimes in public places such as transit stations.10 Such opportunities must be sought out systematically, recognizing as well that multiuse, multibenefit systems have a greater chance of being maintained and improved over time. A security approach that capitalizes on existing processes and capabilities makes sense given the potential cost and magnitude of the security task in the evolving and expansive transportation sector.
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From page 25... ...
A more efficient, adaptable, and system-oriented approach might encompass such tactics as the randomization of security screening, the setting of traps, and the masking of detection capabilities -- all to allocate security resources most effectively and to create layers of uncer tainty that could inhibit terrorist activity through what might be called "curtains of mystery." Moreover, to minimize costly disruptions to transportation services, it may be desirable to narrow the security task to the highest-risk actors and activities. To do so would require a better understanding of normal patterns of behavior and activity, allowing for the preidentification of legitimate and low-risk travelers and shippers that could be filtered out so that more security resources could be devoted to scrutinizing anomalies.
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From page 26... ...
Similar information is not available for many of the land transportation modes, such as public transit, whose users are often anonymous. Nevertheless, security in these other surface modes can be layered through other means while also cap italizing on dual-use applications.13 When certain opportunities arise, such as during the design of new stations or the remodeling of existing ones, many cost-effective protective features can be added, such as good lighting, blast resistant structures, emergency evacuation routes, and open spaces that provide broad fields of vision.
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From page 27... ...
Active public cooperation and vigilance can be encouraged through such means as recurrent messages and public announcements to be alert for and report unattended articles. Indeed, it is the most crowded locations, where terrorists are most likely to strike, in which chances are greatest that a passer-by, if prompted to be attentive, will quickly notice a suspect package and alert authorities.14 All of these elements together -- from blast-resistant designs and well-lit spaces to strategic placement of guards and fences and deliberate means of enhancing situational awareness by personnel and passengers -- can provide a multitiered security system that both deters and protects.
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From page 28... ...
Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies, San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif. Leeper, J
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