However, in response to the attacks on  September 11, Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security  Act (ATSA), which created TSA within DOT and defined its primary  responsibility as ensuring security in all modes of transportation. Common challenges  stem from the extensiveness of the transportation system, the  interconnectivity of the system, funding security improvements, and the  number of stakeholders involved in transportation security. 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  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. 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. DOT modal administrations are also continuing  their security efforts for different modes of transportation. Congress and Federal Agencies Have Acted to Enhance Transportation Security

Congress has acted to enhance the security of the nation’s transportation  system since September 11. 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. 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. However,  during TSA’s first year of existence, TSA’s main focus was on aviation  security—more specifically, on meeting ATSA deadlines. Experts and Associations Identified Future Actions to Advance the Security of the Transportation System

Transportation security experts and representatives of state and local  government and industry associations we contacted generally believe that  the transportation system is more secure today than it was prior to  September 11. Observations

Securing the transportation system is fraught with challenges. It will take  the collective effort of all transportation stakeholders to meet the  continuing challenges and enhance the security of the transportation  system. Conducted security assessments at the 36 largest transit agencies.
Why GAO Did This Study

The economic well being of the United States is dependent on the expeditious flow of people and goods through the transportation system. The attacks on September 11, 2001, illustrate the threats to 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 the 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. 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.