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Bombing In London Brings Attention to CTA Security

By Scott Smith in News on Jul 8, 2005 4:59AM

A day after Londoners celebrated the news that they would be hosting the Olympics in 2012, a series of coordinated bombings spread throughout the London transit system 2005_07_07_tube.jpgin a terrorist attack likely timed to coincide with the G8 summit.

Three explosions occurred in the Tube, London’s subway system, and a fourth explosion ripped apart a double-decker bus during the morning rush hour. The death toll stands at 40 right now though it is expected to rise and police were reporting “a number of fatalities.” Over 300 people are injured. A cell of Al-Qaida has claimed responsibility for the bombings.

For additional news and updates, we’ve been looking to our sister site, Londonist (who report they’ve been in touch with all of their staff and all are safe). They, in turn, are also recommending the Guardian’s news blog for the latest information.

Here in Chicago, there will be an additional police presence around the RTA as well as at the British consulate in the Wrigley Building. While additional security will be in place, CTA and Metra are understandably mum about any measures they’re taking and have even alluded to most of the work being done behind the scenes. Officials are making the usual pronouncements about being aware and reporting suspicious packages (review the CTA’s safety and security tips in a PDF brochure here or a text version here). Look for lots of people in green vests during your commute to and from work today but expect little to change due, in part, to no reports of any possible attacks here.

It’s worth noting here that this would have been the month that massive cuts in transit routes and increases in fares would have taken effect had Springfield not bailed out the CTA. One CTA source notes that most administrative employees there receive no special training in security procedures and no additional funding to secure the system. In 2006, Chicagoans will need to ask tough questions of RTA officials about how they plan to secure against possible attacks of this nature—and whether they may need to pay additional fares to make it happen.

UPDATE: While stressing there has been no credible evidence of planned attacks in Chicago or the U.S., officials have raised the terror alert level to orange for all transit systems, which institutes additional precautions at public events and soldifies emergency procedures in the event of an incident.

If you're looking for information on American friends or relatives who may have been injured in today's attacks, contact the U.S. State Department at (202) 647-4000.