A bill to provide $5.2 billion over three years to improve the nation's transit security systems was introduced and marked in a Senate Banking Committee business meeting May 6.

The bill--announced by Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), Ranking Member Paul S. Sarbanes (D-Maryland) and Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation ranking member Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island)--would create a needs-based grant program within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify risks and vulnerabilities within transit systems across the country. "The Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act" would require DHS to develop strategies for alleviating those risks and create a framework for government agency coordination.

The size of the U.S. transportation system, which includes 3.9 million miles of roads, over 100,000 miles of rail, 600,000 bridges, more than 300 ports, and almost a thousand train and subway stations, provides a substantial number of attractive targets to terrorists and simultaneously makes it difficult to provide the level of security associated with air travel.

The bill would provide funding through three grant sources.

1. Capital Grant Program: Would provide $3.5 billion for security infrastructure such as surveillance, fencing, redundant-systems equipment, communications and tracking equipment, and detection systems for chemical, biological, radiological and explosive agents.
2. Operation Grant Fund: Would provide $800 million in 2005, $500 million in 2006, and $200 million in 2007 for workforce training, public awareness campaigns, canine patrols, and costs associated with events of national or international importance.
3. Research Grant Fund: Would provide $200 million for the study of chemical, biological, radiological or explosive detection technologies, imaging technologies, and others which may have the potential to be effective in deterring terrorist threats.