With the passage of the  Homeland Security Act on November 25, 2002, TSA, along with over 20  other agencies, was transferred to the new Department of Homeland  Security (DHS). Size and Diversity of Transportation Modes Create Security Challenges

The size of the transportation system makes it difficult to adequately  secure. The transportation system’s extensive infrastructure crisscrosses  the nation and extends beyond our borders to move millions of passengers  and tons of freight each day. The extensiveness of the infrastructure as well as  the sheer volume of freight and passengers moved through the system  creates an infinite number of targets for terrorists. The Number of Stakeholders Creates Challenges

Securing the transportation system is made more difficult because of the  number of stakeholders involved. The sluggish economy has further weakened the transportation industry’s  financial condition by decreasing ridership and revenues. The federal government has provided additional funding for transportation  security since September 11, but demand has far outstripped the additional  amounts made available. The roles of the  federal agencies in securing the nation’s transportation system, however,  are in transition. Prior to September 11, DOT had primary responsibility for  the security of the transportation system. In the wake of September 11,  Congress created TSA and gave it responsibility for the security of all  modes of transportation. TSA is  also planning to establish security standards for all modes of transportation  and is launching a number of new security efforts for the maritime and land  transportation modes. First, the transportation system  is intermodal, interdependent, and international. TSA’s and DOT’s Roles and Responsibilities Have Not Been Clearly Defined

The roles and responsibilities of TSA and DOT in transportation security  have yet to be clearly delineated, which creates the potential for  duplicating or conflicting efforts as both entities move forward with their  security efforts. While TSA was  primarily focusing on aviation security, DOT modal administrations  launched various initiatives to enhance the security of the maritime and  land transportation modes. Through these structured  interviews we collected information on the challenges that exist in securing  the transportation system, vulnerabilities of different modes, actions that  transportation stakeholders—including the federal, state, and local  governments and the operators—have taken to enhance security since  September 11, TSA’s and DOT’s ongoing and planned security efforts, roles  and responsibilities of TSA and DOT in securing the transportation system,  and future security actions that industry associations and security experts  believe are needed. The report credits TSA for meeting a number of aviation  security deadlines during its first year of existence and highlights the  efforts of DOT modal administrations and other federal agencies to  improve the security of all modes since September 11.
Why GAO Did This Study

The economic well being of the U.S. is dependent on the expeditious flow of people and goods through the transportation system. The attacks on September 11, 2001, illustrate the threats and vulnerabilities of the transportation system. Prior to September 11, the Department of Transportation (DOT) had primary responsibility for the security of the transportation system. In the wake of September 11, Congress created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) within DOT and gave it primary responsibility for the security of all modes of transportation. TSA was recently transferred to the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS). GAO was asked to examine the challenges in securing the transportation system and the federal role and actions in transportation security.

What GAO Found

Securing the nation's transportation system is fraught with challenges. The transportation system crisscrosses the nation and extends beyond our borders to move millions of passengers and tons of freight each day. The extensiveness of the system as well as the sheer volume of passengers and freight moved makes it both an attractive target and difficult to secure. Addressing the security concerns of the transportation system is further complicated by the number of transportation stakeholders that are involved in security decisions, including government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels, and thousands of private sector companies. Further exacerbating these challenges are the financial pressures confronting transportation stakeholders. For example, the sluggish economy has weakened the transportation industry's financial condition by decreasing ridership and revenues. The federal government has provided additional funding for transportation security since September 11, but demand has far outstripped the additional amounts made available. It will take a collective effort of all transportation stakeholders to meet existing and future transportation challenges. Since September 11, transportation stakeholders have acted to enhance security. At the federal level, TSA primarily focused on meeting aviation security deadlines during its first year of existence and DOT launched a variety of security initiatives to enhance the other modes of transportation. For example, the Federal Transit Administration provided grants for emergency drills and conducted security assessments at the largest transit agencies, among other things. TSA has recently focused more on the security of the maritime and land transportation modes and is planning to issue security standards for all modes of transportation starting this summer. DOT is also continuing their security efforts. However, the roles and responsibilities of TSA and DOT in securing the transportation system have not been clearly defined, which creates the potential for overlap, duplication, and confusion as both entities move forward with their security efforts.