U.S. Transit Vulnerable to Terrorism

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.

1 minute read

December 2, 2011, 10:00 AM PST

By Tim Halbur


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."

Friday, December 2, 2011 in InTransition

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Yellow single-seat Japanese electric vehicle drivign down road.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs

The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

June 6, 2025 - PC Magazine

Rendering of white three-story single-stair building in Austin, Texas with staircase in the middle.

Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway

Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.

30 minutes ago - Building Design & Construction

MARTA bus with Atlanta skyline in background

Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access

MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.

1 hour ago - Mass Transit

Tall modern condo buildings on both sides of CN Tower rising in middle.

Toronto Condo Sales Drop 75%

In two of Canada’s most expensive cities, more condos were built than ever — and sales are plummeting.

2 hours ago - Financial Post