Oakland airport and BART officials said today that they have stepped up their security measures in response to Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge's decision to raise the national terror alert to orange, its second-highest level.

BART General Manager Thomas Margro said the transit agency has put extra police officers on duty to inspect trains that go through the trans-bay tube underneath San Francisco Bay. It's also inspecting garbage cans every few hours and has closed all bathrooms, he said.

"Passengers will see some of the measures we're taking, but there are other measures we're taking that they won't see," Margro said, declining to divulge details.

Officials at Oakland International Airport said they are taking three steps in response to the alert level being raised: vehicle inspections, a greater law enforcement presence and changes at the curbsides.
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