Capital Area Transit (Raleigh) - Response To The Threat of Terrorism

Response To The Threat of Terrorism

There have been no serious terrorist threats or attacks on Raleigh public transit in the city's history, however, on May 4, 2007 a bomb threat was received at the CAT regional transit call center at about 9:00 am. Buses in the Triangle, including an estimated 55 CAT buses, were pulled over, evacuated, and searched. The caller indicated there was a bomb on an unspecified bus, although a Raleigh transit official said the caller mentioned numbers that did not match any CAT buses or routes. The bomb threat was cleared, but left buses operating after that time anywhere from 5 to 90 minutes behind schedule for the day.

Transit Watch is a new public awareness program launched by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The program encourages people to be vigilant and watch for and report safety (e.g. strange smells, smoke, or other potential hazards) and/or security threats (such as abandoned bags or suspicious behavior) on public transit vehicles or public transit properties. The motto of this program is "If You See Something...Say Something." In early 2006 CAT joined the campaign.