The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) awarded a contract to Maximus to begin testing a Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC) for all transportation employees requiring unescorted access to secure areas of transportation facilities. The TWIC program will establish common credentials to more than 12 million transportation workers. It is being designed to facilitate background checks for transportation workers who will be required to have them. "TWIC is the next step to enhance security for all the modes of the transportation system, keeping us one step ahead of the terrorist," said Adm. James M. Loy, TSA administrator. Maximus, in Reston, Va., will field-test various technologies at multiple facilities across different modes of transportation. Pilot sites include the mid-Atlantic region of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the Los Angeles/Long Beach area. TWIC will provide biometric standards designed to clearly identify employees who require unescorted access to secure locations or non-public areas within a transportation facility. It will also protect the privacy of transportation workers by keeping only limited information on the card and central databases. "The success of the TWIC program will be determined by the ability to satisfy three overarching goals: improve security, enhance commerce and protect personal privacy," Loy said. The contract was awarded for $3.8 million and is for 150 days.