By Ron Thaniel
January 20, 2003

On January 14, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta announced $148 million in new transportation security grants to fund port, intercity bus and cargo.

Secretary Mineta said "the $148 million, made available by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will include $105 million in Port Security Grants, $15 million in Intercity Bus Security Grants, and $28 million for Operation Safe Commerce’s pilot program for port security."

The Port Security Grants program includes grants for security assessments and strategies for mitigating vulnerabilities and enhancing cargo and passenger security and access control. Additional funds will be announced in the near future for port incident training to enhance prevention and response preparedness for countering terrorist incidents.

A board composed of representatives from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Coast Guard and Maritime Administration (MARAD) will judge Port Security Grant applications. All grant applications are to be submitted to http://www.portsecuritygrants.dottsa.net/. An announcement providing details about the program is being published at the same site, as well as in FedBizOpps, http://fedbizopps.gov/.

Intercity Bus Security Grants will enhance security for intercity bus operations by focusing on protecting the driver; monitoring and communicating with over-the-road buses; implementing and operating passenger and baggage screening programs; assessing critical security needs and vulnerabilities; and training transportation personnel to recognize and respond to criminal attacks and terrorist threats, as well as in evacuation procedures.

Preference will be given to proposals that address those priorities, although other proposals will be considered. Applications may be submitted by private and public operators of over-the-road buses, bus associations and other associations related to the intercity bus industry. TSA is coordinating the Intercity Bus Security Grants Program with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. The program will be advertised in the Federal Register and is available through the Internet at http://www.tsa.dot.gov/ under "Business Opportunities."

Under Operation Safe Commerce, TSA today requested applications from the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/New Jersey and Seattle/Tacoma for pilot programs using new security techniques with the potential for increasing the security of container shipments. A notice was published in the November 30, 2002 Federal Register soliciting comments on the program.

The deadline to apply is February 27, 2003.