GAO reports on status of intermodal security

The Government Accountability Office on June 21 released a report (.pdf file) on the status of the nation's intermodal security, saying more needs to be done to protect against terrorist threats.

The report, sent to Rep. John L. Mica (R-FL), ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, outlines ways to improve efforts to secure the nation's transportation modes and facilities, such as aviation, mass transit and passenger rail, freight rail, and highway infrastructure. GAO's goal was to examine the extent to which the Department of Homeland Security has "taken action to ensure efforts to strengthen the security of the aviation and surface transportation sectors are based on risk management framework," and DHS has taken action "to ensure the security of the aviation and surface transportation sectors, particularly those actions that involve intermodal facilities."

Investigators concluded that although the Transportation Security Administration "has taken some actions to strengthen the security of aviation and surface transportation facilities through a risk management framework, it has not fully implemented such a framework to inform the allocation of security resources across the transportation modes, including the security of intermodal facilities."