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From Railway Age Soon, all transportation employees may be flashing Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards for unescorted access to secure areas of railroad, seaport, airport, pipeline, trucking, and mass transit facilities. The Transportation Security Administration has issued a RFP for a seven-month test of TWIC smart cards with biometrics (such as a fingerprint) that will positively link an individual to his credentials, increasing the speed and efficiency of identity verification. TSA anticipates that 200,000 workers will participate in testing in Philadelphia; Wilmington, Del.; the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif.; and 14 major port facilities in Florida. “This technology will not only improve security by keeping known terrorists away from vulnerable areas,” said David M. Stone, TSA’s acting administrator, “but it also enhances the flow of commerce and protects individual privacy.” According to TSA, a threat assessment will ensure that known terrorists are not issued TWIC cards or able to gain access to secure areas; numerous advanced credentialing technologies will safeguard against the use of fraudulent credentials; communications technologies tied to the program will allow TSA to interface with other federal, state, and local agencies. In addition, TSA will send out targeted “threat alerts” to key facilities and shift resources based on intelligence data or changes in the threat level.