PATH to Terror

The New York Times highlights security concerns for PATH especially in light of the tunnel plot over the summer that would have detonated bombs in the PATH tunnels to flood the Ground Zero bathtub. From the Times:

Several city subway tunnels beneath the East River are in many ways similar to the four PATH tunnels — essentially cast-iron tubes that run along the riverbed. An official at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that agency is working on an analysis of its tubes.

The PATH analysis, which is characterized as preliminary and continuing, examines the three different types of PATH tubes under the Hudson. Roughly three-quarters of the tubes’ total length is made of unlined cast iron, with the balance made from concrete-lined cast iron or brick. Many of the details of the analysis — including the size of the bombs under discussion, their placement and the exact nature of the vulnerability — are being withheld by The Times.

The worst case included in the analysis suggests that a bomb that could be easily carried aboard a train could punch a 50-square-foot hole in one side of a tube, possibly breaching both sides of the tunnel. Under that situation, 1.2 million gallons of water a minute could pour into the tunnel, flooding parts of the system in a matter of hours.

That is a much more dire view than an earlier draft of the analysis — completed last May — contemplated.

PATH trains run in sets of seven cars, each with a capacity of 130, so that there could potentially be about 900 people on a crowded train. New cars on order would allow 10-car trains that could carry more people.

This is an issue near and dear to me as I take PATH daily, and Mrs. Lawhawk rides PATH frequently. For all the talk about security improvements, in large part, it has been just that; talk.

It is understandable that the Port Authority is reluctant to talk about the security enhancements made, but these vulnerabilities have been known for some time. PATH is a major commuter artery into New York City from New Jersey and should the system be compromised, the economic vitality of the region could be seriously affected. That doesn't even begin to deal with the potential death toll from such an attack, which depending on the timing, methods, and number of weapons used, could mirror the 9/11 attacks.

Meanwhile, there's still no word on demanding that the Port Authority finally get its act together and build emergency exits for Christopher Street and 9th St., both of which were built decades ago, are highlighted by a single narrow staircase that would become a deathtrap in case of emergency and plans for a second access point have gone nowhere despite a look at the problem right after 9/11. (The Port Authority owns Ground Zero and the cross-Hudson bridges and tunnels). The lack of progress on this issue has been due to Greenwich Village opposition to building another exit point on Christopher St., claiming that it would alter the nature of the historic area (which is currently occupied by a number of sex shops and head shops).

Now, here's a real interesting thing about the New York Times coverage. They didn't think that the revelation of a bomb plot against the PATH system and other tunnels in the NYC metro area deserved front page above the fold treatment at a time when other media outlets in NYC were running it as a full front page splash. Yet, they now think that the findings of security flaws are worthy of above the fold treatment. We also learn that the Times was provided a copy of the report at a time when the NYPD and DHS can't confirm whether they'd seen copies of the report (a failure of the Port Authority to apprise the city, state, and fed officials of problems would not be out of the question).