As sustainability becomes an increasingly important component of the world, cities learn improving their transit structure is essential to keep up with the pace set by global trendsetters. At the same time, new security concerns must be properly addressed for this to be effective. Over the past few decades, Western cities in particular have become susceptible targets of global terrorist organisations, and security against the ever-present threat of
terrorism has become one of the key drivers of policy-making at both the domestic and international level in that time, especially since 9/11, 7/7, and other attacks (some successful, some not) brought in the twenty-first century. No type of travel has been immune to security risks, especially those types which concentrate many people together in compact spaces, such as airplanes, subway and light rail carriages, and buses.
In response, increased security measures have been implemented by both the private and the public sector at various levels. For example, “installing more closed-circuit
television cameras, increasing the presence of security, both visible and undercover, and adding bomb-sniffing dog teams are all options that security experts sometimes recommend” (Gollom, 2012), as well as the other options mentioned herein, such as public awareness programs and changing the designs of transit stations. There have been a few notable tragic exceptions, but for the most part, traveling on mass transit can be considered as safe as ever.
However…will any of this be enough? One Madrid transportation official claimed “Security does not exist. What do exist are methods to lessen insecurity. You never know
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what is going to happen. I am telling you this because when the politicians tell you that these methods will guarantee our security, it is all false” (Loukaitou-Sideris, Taylor, and Fink, 2006, p.743). Jennifer Dorn of theFederal Transit Administration thinks “completely preventing terrorist attacks on public transportation systems is an unrealistic goal,” a
sentiment she told the U.S. Senate in the months following 9/11: “Given the inherently open nature of our transit system, it is more important to concentrate on mitigation than
prevention, frankly” (Peckenbaugh, 2002, p.74). This idea was echoed by Chalk, who said “attempting to institute 100 percent security is impossible given the nature and purpose of mass transit” (2006).
Regardless, with so much information floating around, it is essential for the right people to be informed. However, this is sometimes easier said than done. Referring to the logistical trouble of sharing information from the FBI, CIA, DHS, etc. one character in the show Criminal Minds said “it sure would be a lot easier if there was centralisation of all of this” (Criminal Minds, 2006). Though the show is fictional, her concerns are valid in real life. The problem is not limited to the United States; in Britain, transit operators – like the London Underground or Nexus in Newcastle/Sunderland – secure the trains, whereas Network Rail secures stations (Loukaitou-Sideris, Taylor, and Fink, 2006, p.736).
Likewise, it is just as important to cooperate internationally as well as domestically, especially in this globalised era. As with any multinational problem, it is necessary for relevant parties to share ideas and solutions across borders. Loukaitou-Sideris, Taylor, and Fink emphasize that security cannot “be achieved without global cooperation and worldwide networking” (2006, p.727). It is essential for cities to learn best practices from others; to work on “building a smarter planet,” as the IBM catchphrase goes. According to transit
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engineer David Levinson, “Understanding how subway networks grow and evolve might one day help to design better systems” (Fecht, 2012). Loukaitou-Sideris, Taylor, and Fink
provide a specific example, saying “all of the British transit operators we interviewed stressed the importance of sharing information and knowledge about security with their neighbors on the Continent” (2006, p.737). To fight a multinational problem, there must be a multinational effort.
There likely is no perfect solution, as there will always be some degree of risk given the open nature of mass transit. However, by using a comparative approach to security threats on public transportation systems and learning from others, relevant parties can figure out what some of the best practices are to ensure that people remain as safe as possible. Civic authorities, companies in the private sector, and public citizens all need to be prepared for what they would do in an attack situation; by having plans and preventative measures in place in advance, casualties can be minimized, services can be restored quicker, and passengers can feel more secure. That is really the best thing that can be done.
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