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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently recognized 17 U.S. rail and mass transit agencies for achieving the highest rating for security measures according to the TSA’s Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE).

Among the 17 agencies that achieved the “Gold Standard” in BASE scores last year were Amtrak, the Bi-State Development Agency (MetroLink) in St. Louis, Regional Transportation District of Denver, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, North County Transit District, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, TSA officials said in a prepared statement.

The BASE program is designed to establish a security standard for individual system security programs. The voluntary review evaluates several categories identified by the transit industry as grounds for a sound security program.

The 17 agencies were reviewed in 2011 and attained the high scores across all categories, TSA officials said. In 2010, only six transit agencies achieved the highest score levels.