BACKGROUND

Since September 11, 2001, there has developed a renewed recognition of the vulnerability of the nation's transportation infrastructure to damage and destruction from forces other than natural disasters. It has also been recognized that transportation security and emergency response systems must be changed and managed in different ways using technology and physical resources in new and different ways.

This means that the transportation community must now assess and begin to make necessary investments to insure that the transportation infrastructure, technology tools, facilities, equipment and personnel are adequately prepared to repel or respond to these new threats.

This project deals with developing a Needs Estimate for ensuring that the nations roadways, tunnels, bridges, and support infrastructure are prepared and capable of withstanding these new threats and that we have emergency response capability for threats on and off the transportation system. It is understood that there will need to be two parts to this Needs Estimate: 1) A Capital Investment Estimate, and 2) An Estimate of Ongoing Operating Costs.

TASKS

Task 1. Review the results and preliminary products being produced under other related research projects to develop criteria by which to estimate capital investment and operating costs to secure critical and vulnerable transportation infrastructure and facilities and equipment and provide emergency response for threats on and off the transportation system. This includes the costs associated with initial and continuing vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans and updates.

Task 2. Survey responsible federal, state and regional agencies to refine criteria from Task 1 and determine what estimates may already exist.

Task 3. Develop, test, and implement estimating tools to make appropriate national level investments estimates for capital improvements and ongoing operating costs.

Task 4. Prepare and document national and state-by-state estimates of capital investment and operating cost needs for emergency response and for critical and/or vulnerable transportation infrastructure, facilities, and agencies to support them.

Status: The Contractor's Final Report was received in December 2002. It is available through the AASHTO web site at https://security.transportation.org/sites/security/docs/NatlNeedsAssess.pdf