BART, Oakland Airport Increase Security

BART, Oakland Airport Increase Security
KRON4.com, CA

Posted: December 23, 2003 at 6:37 p.m. 

OAKLAND (BCN) -- Oakland airport and BART officials said that they have stepped 
up their security measures in response to Homeland Security Secretary Tom 
Ridge's decision to raise the national terror alert to orange, its 
second-highest level. 

BART General Manager Thomas Margro said the transit agency has put extra police 
officers on duty to inspect trains that go through the trans-bay tube 
underneath San Francisco Bay. It's also inspecting garbage cans every few hours 
and has closed all bathrooms, he said. 

"Passengers will see some of the measures we're taking, but there are other 
measures we're taking that they won't see," Margro said, declining to divulge 
details. 

Officials at Oakland International Airport said they are taking three steps in 
response to the alert level being raised: vehicle inspections, a greater law 
enforcement presence and changes at the curbsides. 

In addition, airport officials recommend that domestic passengers arrive at 
least two hours prior to departure and international passengers arrive at least 
three hours early. 

Vehicle inspections will occur along the airport inbound roadway and at the 
terminal curbsides. Vehicles will be checked for explosives and other 
suspicious materials as they approach the terminal buildings and when they stop 
at the terminal curbside. 

A routine stop is expected to last no more than 90 seconds. Law enforcement 
officials may ask to inspect vehicle trunks and the backs of vans. 

Vehicles will be permitted to stop only long enough to drop off or pick up 
passengers and their luggage. 

Security officials will continue the inspections indefinitely. 

Airport officials say travelers also may notice an increased presence of law 
enforcement officials in and around the terminal buildings and increased 
searches of baggage by the airport's canine unit while the airport remains at 
the heightened level of security. 

Other mandated changes include the elimination of taxi staging at the terminal 
building's first curb, which is the inner curb. Taxis will be called forward 
from a remote staging area on an as-needed basis. 

Taxis picking up passengers at the first curb will be inspected prior to 
picking up passengers, as will all other ground transportation vehicles using 
the second (or middle) curb, such as AC Transit and AirBART buses, and vehicles 
using the third (or outer) curb, such as hotel, rental car agency and 
door-to-door shuttles. 

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