BART receives $2.9 million state security grant

By Jeff Shuttleworth, Bay City News Service

August 24, 2006

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday that he's authorizing $2.9 million grant to "enhance security" for the 326,000 riders who use Bay Area Rapid Transit every day.

BART officials weren't immediately available for comment on how the money will be spent.

Schwarzenegger's office reported the exact enhancements to be made to BART and the specific funding allocations are classified, but the grant comes via the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Providing better security for mass transit systems is a priority because they've become a high-profile target for terrorists in recent years, according to Schwarzenegger's announcement.

Examples are terrorist attacks in Madrid, London and Mumbai and attempts on the New York subway system.

Schwarzenegger directed the new money to BART after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown wrote a joint letter on July 14 stating that BART has "a serious security issue" and asking for the governor's "immediate assistance."

The mayors told Schwarzenegger, "Like you, we are disappointed by the overall level of federal security funding that California and the Bay Area received this year from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.'

Newsom and Brown said it's a priority to "harden a critical asset on the BART system" and the security project should be completed "as soon as possible."

In announcing the funding today, Schwarzenegger said, "Public safety is my No. 1 priority, and with the five-year anniversary of Sept. 11 less than a month away and subsequent terror attacks in cities around the world, we need to always remain vigilant and continue to strengthen the security of all potential targets."

Schwarzenegger's office said the funds are directed from available federal homeland security funds, including the state's portion of the federal government's Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant to fix a unique vulnerability in the train system.

California is allowed to distribute up to 20 percent of the UASI grants as it finds appropriate. Schwarzenegger directed that the $2.9 million be allocated to enhance BART security.

Schwarzenegger's office said it worked closely with the federal Department of Homeland Security and BART to both identify "this unique vulnerability" and find the funding needed to fix it.

Copyright © 2006 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.

####