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CNN Live At Daybreak

America Recovers: Travel Slowly Resuming

Aired October 04, 2001 - 07:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Travel in the U.S. is picking up again after a sharp drop in the aftermath of the attacks. Let's see how things are doing on the runways, railways and roadways.

CNN's Jeff Flock is at the General Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee with a look at security measures in place there. Bill Delaney at an Amtrak station south of Boston with an update on train security and ridership. And CNN's Jason Carroll is at New York's Port Authority bus terminal.

We begin with Mr. Flock in Milwaukee -- good morning.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Miles.

Yes, indeed, back to normal, but it is a new normal here. Indeed, this is the Mitchell International Airport. Perhaps you see the morning rush, the lines. Be prepared for lines. Also be prepared, as we take another look upstairs, to see members of the National Guard at airports. This is one of a handful of airports where National Guard troops have already been deployed, some of the Guard being trained around the country. These Guardsmen were here almost immediately, and you'll see them upstairs as you check in at those security checkpoints.

In addition, U.S. marshals are here, the Milwaukee County sheriffs are here. There is a lot of security at this airport, as there is at airports all around the country. And today we will spend this day on CNN showing you what the new normal is in air travel.

Now, though, to the rails. My colleague Bill Delaney is out in Canton, Massachusetts -- how are things there, Bill?

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thank you, Jeff.

Actually, this station just emptied out as people boarded a train. Fourteen Amtrak trains leave a day from this station south of Boston in Canton, Massachusetts. The security here quite a contrast to where Jeff Flock is. There's not much security to be seen. Amtrak officials say that's because their security was strong before September 11 and remains that way.

They have tightened a few things up. There are 325 Amtrak police people around the country. They've made them more visible. But in general, here at a train station and at any Amtrak station around the country, you're going to walk in without a metal detector and you're going to walk in without being frisked. Amtrak officials say, though, the trains are secure.

Engineers are locked away in their locomotives. You can't get to them. Engineers are in constant contact with dispatchers. Train travel, they say, is safe.

Amtrak has asked for a $3.8 billion infusion from Congress to upgrade security and safety, but so far the only measure they've taken for safety that's very obvious is if you pay with cash you're going to have to show an I.D. If you pay with a credit card, there will be a background check.

And now over to Jason Carroll in New York.

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, we've seen many changes here at the Port Authority since the terrorist attack. Just to give you an idea of what this place is like, it is a huge establishment. Two hundred thousand people pass through here every day. Seventy-two hundred buses use this place every day. Securing a place of this size is no easy task.

Now, normally I would be standing on the other side of the street that you see over there. But not today because of security measures, I'm back over here on the other side of the street. The street that you see right over there is closed. In fact, two of the three streets that are closest to the Port Authority are closed for security reasons. Police have also put up a barricade -- perhaps you can see it through all the traffic, the yellow gate there. That is a barricade. There is actually a barricade that surrounds the Port Authority. They're telling us these security measures are going to be in place until further notice.

Before, if you were a cab or in a bus you could park directly in front of the Port Authority but not anymore. It's not like it used to be. From now on you've got to park across the street.

We also had an opportunity to speak to a representative from the Port Authority this morning. We were asking them in terms of numbers how many police officers were out here. They told us for security reasons they cannot give us that information. But they did tell us that these new security measures will be in place until further notice -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, CNN's Jason Carroll, thank you very much, and thanks to all of our correspondents for that brief look at transportation.

We have some breaking news just in here to CNN. According to the Associated Press, a Russian Tupolev 154 airliner outbound from Tel Aviv on its way to Siberia apparently has crashed in the Black Sea. A hundred and fourteen passengers on board. It's near the town of Adler and we do not have much more information on it than that, except to tell you that we just came in -- excuse me, not 114 people on board, it was 114 miles off the Russian coastal city of Alder. Excuse me for that. The Russian Tupolev 154 airliner, Tel Aviv to Siberia the intended route, has apparently crashed, according to the Associated Press. We don't have much more information than that. We are obviously tracking it. We'll keep you updated.

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