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Metropolitan Transportation Authority Security Director Doug Zeigler is in charge of keeping the system safe. That includes the bridges, tunnels, and terminals like Grand Central, as well as the rail yards and bus depots. The 768 member MTA police force also patrols the Staten Island Railway, Metro North and Long Island Rail Road properties.

Zeigler says since 9/11 the agency has doubled the number of MTA officers and revamped training and security.

"The officers now are trained in counterterrorism methods, they carry heavy weaponry guns, they now have the radioactive, radiation detectors that they carry, go through the NYPD police academy," Zeigler said.

Roughly 2,500 NYPD transit officers patrol the subway cars, platforms, buses and tunnels.

"It's been an eye opener for us here at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. NYPD has been our steadfast partner," Zeigler said.

The MTA also says it now has more than 4,000 subway cameras. About 500 send live feeds from Times Square, Grand Central and Penn Station into the NYPD's Lower Manhattan Security initiative.

Mike Balboni, the one-time New York State Homeland Security chief, says these surveillance systems primarily solve rather than prevent crime. He says lone wolves who may be inspired, perhaps by watching the news, are the main concern.

"Who look at the TV and say. 'You know what? I think that the radical extremist views are my views and so I want to join this effort and I'm gonna go out and assemble explosives. And you can get a lot of information off the Internet and see what I can do,'" Balboni said.

Zeigler basically agrees and says that's why the MTA relies now more than ever on the eyes and ears of the public to help prevent attacks on the transit system.