Securing The Nations Rail And Other Surface Transportation Networks

Securing the nation's rail and other surface transportation networks: hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, second session, April 21, 2010.

Securing the nation's rail and other surface transportation networks: hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, second session, April 21, 2010.

The four rail attacks in Europe & Asia since 2004, including the most recent in India, highlight the vulnerability of passenger rail & other surface transportation systems to terrorist attack & demonstrate the need for greater focus on securing these systems. This testimony is based primarily on a Sept. 2005 passenger rail security report & selected recent program updates. It addresses: (1) the extent to which the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) has assessed the risks facing the U.S. passenger rail system & developed a strategy based on risk assessments for securing all modes of transportation, including passenger rail; & (2) the actions that fed. agencies have taken to enhance the security of the U.S. passenger rail system. Includes recommend.

We are here at a moment of enormous peril and promise. Promise, because we have an opportunity to invest in the future of our transportation system, grow the economy, expand job creation, and achieve a larger vision for our Nation's transportation system. But, at the same time, there's tremendous peril in the decaying and crumbling infrastructure that faces us, literally, every day on our roads, bridges, railroads, and other public facilities. Resources and rules, and effective enforcement of those rules, are a prerequisite to safety and reliability. There are indications that some of the agencies, such as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Federal Railroad Administration, have been absent from what they should be doing in their watchdog and oversight roles. Rigor and vigilance are needed to protect people who use railroads and other transportation systems.

The surface transportation system is vital to our nation's economy, defense, and quality of life. Because threats against the system have hitherto been perceived as minor, little attention has been paid to its security. But the world is changing, as highlighted by dramatic incidents such as the terrorist chemical attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995. As a consequence, security concerns are now attracting more attentionâ€"appropriately so, for the threat is real, and responding to it is hard. Although the surface transportation system is remarkably resilient, it is also open and decentralized, making a security response challenging. Research and development can contribute to that response in important ways. Some important themes emerge from analysis of this strategy. First, a dual-use approach, in which security objectives are furthered at the same time as other transportation goals, can encourage the implementation of security technologies and processes. Second, modeling could be used more to develop a better understanding of the scope of the security problem. Third, DOT can play an important role in developing and disseminating information about best practices that use existing technologies and processes, including low-technology alternatives. Finally, security should be considered as part of a broader picture, not a wholly new and different problem but one that is similar and closely connected to the transportation community's previous experience in responding to accidents, natural disasters, and hazardous materials.

'This book is a tremendous information resource, and Dr. Zimmerman is a true data "guru". Informed by her unique combination of interests, Transport, the Environment and Security represents a giant leap forward in understanding this previously understudied confluence of forces, encompassing topics as diverse as how transportation affects the environment and how security problems can affect transportation.' – Vicki Bier, University of Wisconsin-Madison, US 'Zimmerman's book is a much needed addition to our scientific understanding of the nexus between environment and security within a transportation context. Transportation networks (rail and road) are the quintessential American lifeline and disruptions through episodic natural hazards, terrorist activities, or longer term climate changes will have profound changes on society – presently and in the future. Zimmerman illustrates the synergies between environment, transport networks, security, social justice and urban places in a masterful and thoughtful synthesis that underscores the interdependencies within the transportation infrastructure, the nation's vulnerability to transport disruptions, and offers ideas for increasing the resilience of the transportation infrastructure. It will become a standard reference as we re-imagine transport in the 21st century under changing climate, security, environment, and living conditions.' – Susan L. Cutter, University of South Carolina, US 'Transportation planning and policy making have followed a particular model for more than fifty years. Rae Zimmerman begins with the premise that we are in a rut and that the old ways of thinking need to be replaced. An enormous amount of evidence is presented that together argues a strong case for the systematic integration of planning for transportation, the environment, and security. While the book does not get us to an integrated process, it points us to one and starts us down a creative path. A great introduction to the complexities of these relationships.' – Martin Wachs, RAND Corporation, US Effective means of transport are critical under both normal and extreme conditions, but modern transport systems are subject to many diverse demands. This path-breaking book uniquely draws together the typically conflicting arenas of transport, the environment and security, and provides collective solutions to their respective issues and challenges. From a primarily urban perspective, the author illustrates that the fields of transportation, environment (with an emphasis on climate change) and security (for both natural hazards and terrorism) and their interconnections remain robust areas for policy and planning. Synthesizing existing data, new analyses, and a rich set of case studies, the book uses transportation networks as a framework to explore transportation in conjunction with environment, security, and interdependencies with other infrastructure sectors. The US rail transit system, ecological corridors, cyber security, planning mechanisms and the effectiveness of technologies are among the topics explored in detail. Case studies of severe and potential impacts of natural hazards, accidents, and security breaches on transportation are presented. These cases support the analyses of the forces on transportation, land use and patterns of population change that connect, disconnect and reconnect people from their environment and security. The book will prove a fascinating and insightful read for academics, students, and practitioners across a wide range of fields including: transport, environmental economics, environmental management, urban planning, public policy, and terrorism and security.