BACKGROUND
Post 9/11, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) wanted to determine what it would cost for its member state departments of transportation (DOTs) to develop a full infrastructure security program. A report, National Needs Assessment for Ensuring Transportation Infrastructure Security, was prepared under National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) project 20-59(5) to provide this estimate. The estimate in the report was used in the AASHTO 2002 Bottom Line Report to Congress.
The National Needs Assessment report, developed by Parsons Brinckerhoff and SAIC, was submitted in October 2002. Since submission of that report, many state DOTs have taken steps to improve their security. State DOTs and other organizations involved in homeland security have given much thought to improved methods of ensuring infrastructure security. At the federal level, the Department of Homeland Security has developed the National Response Plan (NRP), National Incident Management System (NIMS), National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), etc. In addition, industry thinking has evolved regarding the relative risk of the range of threats and hazards to transportation infrastructure, and these changes are being reflected in changing risk management methodology.
All of the above-mentioned changes necessitate a need to update the 2002 National Needs Assessment report.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this project is to update the 2002 National Needs Assessment report. A one-page executive summary will be included, suitable for inclusion in an upcoming AASHTO Bottom Line Report.
In this project, the 2002 report will be used as the foundation or baseline. The final report from this project will update but not rewrite or take the place of the 2002 report. Rather the report from this project will explain aspects of the 2002 report that have changed and provide some analysis around those changes. Portions of the 2002 report may be incorporated in the final updated report as appropriate.
TASKS
Task 1. Review Existing Report
The research team will review the existing National Needs Assessment report and make determinations as to the changes that are required. The research team will also provide survey questions to AASHTO and TransTech Management, the firm tasked with surveying state DOTs relative to security matters. The answers to these survey questions will provide additional data for updating the report.
Recommended changes to the report will be described in a technical memorandum, which will be provided to the review panel. The research team will then schedule time at a review panel meeting to brief the members on the changes required as part of the update. Comments will be taken from the review panel meeting and incorporated in the process of writing a draft report.
Some of the issues that would be considered during review include:
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The countermeasure improvements that have been made in the four years since development of the last report,
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The current state of thinking on the physical retrofit of critical structures versus dependence on temporary security upgrades during elevated threat periods,
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The effect of NRP/NIMS/NIPP/etc. on infrastructure security, and
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Evolved approaches to all-hazard risk management, including the ability to expand dual use approaches to cover both transportation and security needs, perhaps to include more rural areas through which evacuations might occur.
Deliverable 1: Technical memorandum describing needed changes to the National Needs Assessment report.
Task 2. Write Draft Report Update
Based on the necessary changes and comments received from the review panel, PB will write a draft report of up to 20 pages. The report will refer to, modify and build on the 2002 report. A one-page executive summary will be included, suitable for inclusion in an upcoming AASHTO Bottom Line Report. The draft report will be provided to the review panel for a four-week review.
Deliverable 2: Draft report
Task 3. Write Final Report Update
Once comments are received from the review panel, PB will write the final report and submit it to NCHRP, utilizing the received comments and making other revisions as necessary.
Deliverable 3: Final report
Status: Completed. Delivered to AASHTO.
