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Volpe Center Highlights - March 1999

Director's Notes

Director's Notes | Focus | Safety | Mobility | Human and Natural Environment |
Economic Growth and Trade | National Security | Published and Presented

"The widening availability of destructive technology and the growing complexity and consequent vulnerability of twenty-first century societies suggest that terrorism might make a quantum leap in the decades ahead, from airline hijacking, ordinary explosives, and hostage taking to attack with nuclear, chemical, biological, and cyber weapons of enormous destructiveness."

Preventive Defense, A New Security Strategy for America, 1999 by Ashton B. Carter and William J. Perry

The possibility of catastrophic terrorist activities has focussed attention on the vulnerabilities of both domestic and foreign transportation facilities and the potentially severe consequences of such a terrorist attack. Transportation facilities offer a very visible and attractive target, packed with innocents with potential impact for major publicity.

In response to these and other security-related concerns, the federal government has taken several key steps. A 1996 Executive Order established the President's Council on Critical Infrastructure Protection (PPCIP). In October 1997, the commission issued Critical Foundations: Protecting America's Infrastructures. The report comprehensively assessed the potential threat to the entire range of the nation's key infrastructures including transportation, energy distribution, telecommunications and information systems, banking and finance and vital human services. In May 1998, the Administration issued two related Presidential Decision Directives (PDDs). PDD-62 highlighted the growing threat of unconventional attacks against the United States and detailed a national program management approach to counter-terrorism efforts. PDD-63 called for a national effort to assure security of the increasingly vulnerable and interconnected infrastructures of the United States. The directive stressed the critical importance of cooperation between the government and the private sector by linking designated agencies with private sector representatives in key fields. The Volpe Center, I am proud to say, has, and continues to play an active role in the federal government's response to the terrorist threat. The Center provided significant technical support to the Department of Transportation's input to the President's Council on Critical Infrastructure Protection, has completed a well received surface transportation vulnerability assessment. Volpe Center staff have also supported the FAA's response to Presidential Decision Directive 63; has held and is planning future workshops and symposia on detection, mitigation and response to cyber, chemical and biological threats; and is an active participant in activities of the government/industry/community concerned with anti-terrorism and security technologies.

Looking to the future, it is essential that we continue to enhance and expand capabilities in the areas of: (1) threat assessment and risk; (2) information security; (3) validation of new countermeasure capabilities; and (4) assistance to the responder community in the acquisition and application of the most advanced and affordable levels of protection and response. As in the past, I am sure that we will again rise to the nation's need and respond to this challenge.

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