Transportation Center May Be Eligible for Grants

By John Norton, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Feb. 10–The Transportation Technology Center could qualify for federal transit security grants under language added to a measure making its way through Congress.

Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, secured the language in Wednesday’s committee markup of the Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007, which would allocate $3.5 billion in grants over the next three years.

Ruben Pena, manager for business development at the center, called it “a good win for TTCI.”

Pena said that under the bill, the center itself and agencies that use it can qualify for grants under the anti-terrorism program.

Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., was credited with getting the center eligible. A spokeswoman for the Association of American Railroads, which operates the center, said Allard also tried to have the center designated as part of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, making it eligible for even more research and training funds, but the committee was reluctant to make that move because the NDPC falls under the jurisdiction of the Homeland Security Committee.

Pena said that Colorado’s Congressional delegation is continuing to work to have the center added to the consortium and to get funding for an above-ground facility where subway accidents or attacks could be simulated.

Some members of Congress tried to get the grant program funded last year but were unable to win final approval.

A transit security funding authorization passed both chambers in the 109th Congress as part of a port security bill but the transit portion was stripped during a House-Senate conference before the bill was enacted last October 2006.

The bill approved by the panel Thursday would spread funding over three years, calling for $1.1 billion in fiscal 2008. Of that, $536 million would be set aside for capital investments, such as security and surveillance equipment.

The bill would authorize $534 million in fiscal 2008 for operational assistance, such as training, public education and labor costs. Over three years, the bill would designate $1 billion for operational costs.

An additional $130 million over three years would be designated for research.

The bill also would authorize spending “such sums as necessary” to carry out its intelligence provisions.

TTCI is a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads and operates from a federally-owned research and test facility on 52-square miles of state land northeast of Pueblo. In addition to research into rail technology, it also has an internationally known training program for emergency responders.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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