HOMELAND and NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE:

Ensure the security of the transportation system for the movement of people and goods, and support the National Security Strategy.

Strategic Outcomes:

• Reduce the vulnerability of the transportation system and its users to crime and terrorism.
• Increase the capability of the transportation system to meet national defense needs.

Transportation security is equal in importance to transportation safety.  DOT’s objective is to contribute to homeland and national security by providing strategic mobility, and by working in tandem with the Department of Homeland Security to minimize the vulnerability of our transportation system to disruption, damage, or exploitation through crime or terrorism.  In FY 2003, DOT homeland and national security programs continued to provide strategic mobility to the Department of Defense and to reduce the transportation system’s vulnerability to crime and terrorism. 

Performance Summary:

Management Challenge – Aviation and Transportation Security (IG/GAO)

The IG and GAO have previously noted that challenges exist in effectively meeting national requirements for improving security in aviation and surface transportation.  After the terrorist attacks of September 11, Congress passed and the President signed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, which created an Under Secretary of Transportation for Security, and a new DOT Operating Administration - the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

TSA met the unprecedented challenge to hire and train a federalized workforce to screen all passengers and their carry-on baggage by November 19, 2002, and, for the most part, to deploy the necessary equipment and federalized workforce to meet the December 31, 2002 deadline to screen all checked baggage.  At the same time, TSA significantly expanded the Federal Air Marshals program with more flights being guarded now than anytime in history.

DOT carried out an effective transition of U.S. Coast Guard and TSA to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with no loss of effectiveness, and developed methods for working effectively with DHS on the overlapping issues of transportation security and safety. 

Public Transportation Security Initiatives

FHWA engaged with program and technical specialists across a wide spectrum of the transportation industry in defining a collective approach to transportation security.  Activities ranged from work on infrastructure hardening to emergency response planning.  FHWA:

• assisted DHS in developing critical infrastructure assessment and vulnerability reduction models;
• brought State and Federal technical specialists together to provide much needed inputs for these models, which will be used to identify cost-effective measures that can lower the risk of attack and/or improve the performance of existing bridges;
• assisted the Department of State and the General Services Administration in the modeling of anti-ram devices, such as bollards, fences, concrete walls, that are being used to safeguard many of our foreign embassies and other buildings abroad and in the U.S.;
• provided similar assistance the National Capital Planning Commission through the evaluation of benches, planters, and drinking fountains that can be used to improve the urban landscape as well enhance security adjacent to federal buildings and monuments in the Washington, DC area;
• worked with the Corps of Engineers to developing a better understanding of blast-structure interactions and the development of design guidance for new structures to enable them to better withstand blast impacts; and
• worked with state departments of transportation in the development of rapid repair techniques that can restore serviceability following a terrorist event.

FHWA developed a draft highway incident management protocol in coordination with Public Safety agencies, and the Transportation Security Administration and FHWA continued a series of multi-modal emergency response and recovery exercises in major metropolitan areas, bringing together transportation, police, fire, emergency medical, public health, emergency management, intelligence, and military communities to review highway response and recovery plans. 

Management Challenge – Computer Security (Department-wide and FAA) (IG/GAO/OMB)

The IG, GAO, and OMB have identified information system security as a critical government-wide management challenge, and in particular, have identified FAA air traffic control information systems as needing special attention to harden them against malicious or criminal attack.

Computer security entails protection of all IT assets as required by the Computer Security Act of 1987, the Government Information Security Reform Act (GISRA), OMB Circular A-130, and National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance, etc. 

Since the Nation’s ability to respond to emergency needs following a terrorist attack is highly dependent upon the ability of these telecommunications and traffic management systems to function, FHWA completed guidance on reducing the vulnerability of FHWA-owned telecommunication systems, and updated and republished guidance on improving transportation information system cyber security.

FAA issued an Information Operations Condition (INFOCON) order that outlines the actions FAA will take to respond to threats to its information systems security.  The order outlines an agency-wide approach to defend against system attacks, to mitigate damage to the extensive information infrastructure, and to guard against the misuse of the agency’s information technology infrastructure.  This coordinated approach, combined with significant efforts to ensure that FAA information systems are properly certified and accredited, helps to ensure that the agency’s critical information systems are protected from cyber attack. 

Strategic Mobility: To maximize DOD’s logistics capability and minimize its cost, defense sealift increasingly relies on the U.S. commercial sector.  DOD’s ability to respond to military contingencies requires adequate U.S.-flag sealift resources, skilled U.S. maritime labor, and the associated maritime infrastructure.  DOT helps provide for a seamless, time-phased transition from peacetime to wartime operations while balancing the defense and commercial elements of our transportation system.  The Ready Reserve Force (RRF) is a key source of strategic sealift capacity to support the rapid deployment of U.S. military forces during the early stages of a military crisis.  Merchant mariners employed on commercial vessels in the U.S. domestic and international trades provide the core job skills needed to crew the RRF.  The Maritime Security Program (MSP) and the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) program ensure that the active U.S.-flag fleet is available for sealift while continuing to carry commercial freight.  Merchant mariners employed on these and other vessels in the U.S. domestic and international trades provide the crew to simultaneously operate both the RRF and the commercial fleet during wartime.  DOT is responsible for establishing DOD's prioritized use of ports and related intermodal facilities during DOD mobilizations, when the smooth flow of military cargo through commercial ports is critical.

Performance measures:

Percentage of DOD-required shipping capacity complete with crews available within mobilization timelines.

Percentage of DOD- designated commercial ports available for military use within DOD established readiness timelines.

2003 Results: DOT met the shipping capacity target, but did not meet the target for commercial port availability.

MARAD achieved a cumulative 2003 availability rate of 96 percent for DOD-required shipping capacity.  This represents an increase of two percent over our 2002 results.  The improvement is due to the improved availability of a greater percentage of ships in the Ready Reserve Fleet.

The militarily preferred facilities in the ports of San Diego and Long Beach were congested with commercial cargo.  The Federal Port Controllers (FPC's) for these two ports advised MARAD that it would take more than 48 hours to clear the staging areas and transition from commercial to military operations.  MARAD, the Military Traffic Management Command (MTMC), and the FPCs are working closely to coordinate military operations and use alternate facilities, if possible.  At the present time, the military is using alternate facilities in the port of Long Beach.  MTMC has contingency plans in place to use alternate ports, but these alternatives are not the best options to meet military mission timelines.

FY 2004 Performance Plan Evaluation:  DOT will meet both performance targets in FY 2004.