Josh Stephens writes that while Al Queda seems obsessed with air travel, they have attacked transit in other countries and the U.S. system is vulnerable.
Stephens says that because of the free flow of passengers on transit systems, security forces rely on passengers to report odd behavior or packages left behind:
"Widespread "See Something, Say Something" campaigns, including a text-based system started this summer by NJ Transit (see sidebar), are designed to take advantage of the countless pairs of eyes capable of spotting suspicious activity. Defining "suspicious," however, poses one of the biggest challenges to transit system law enforcement."
The Transportation Security Administration is also now involved on the local level of transit:
"Aside from their own intelligence gathering, the nation's otherwise diffuse network of transit agencies rely heavily on intelligence gathered by the TSA. The agency sends out daily briefs and frequently shares best practices."
FULL STORY: For Transit Agencies, Terrorists Are Moving Targets
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research