"There's no worry in the transportation industry that [security] will be a fad," noted Steve Heminger, executive director of the Bay Area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission. But building to decrease congestion and to enhance service must not be forgotten. "We must blur the distinction between planner and builder...," he said. "We all have to be managers."

Deputy U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Michael P. Jackson vowed that "we've not in one way stepped away from our core goals." But while every sector continues to seek funding for construction-related upgrades, they now are also spending money and labor on making reports assessing vulnerability to terrorism, acquiring high-tech tools and training staffs for emergency response.