When Mel Zucker went to the Portland-area mass transit agency for data to further his criticism of light-rail projects, he hit a brick wall.

"Sensitive security information," he was told.

Officials said that disclosing precise information about the numbers and boarding locations of TriMet riders might reveal when and where the system was most vulnerable to a terrorist attack.

But, Zucker asked, how much trouble would it be for potential terrorists just to watch to see when the buses and trains are crowded?

"I served in the armed forces, and I remember loose lips sink ships, and I never had a problem with that," Zucker said. "But this was just silly."

It appears Zucker is going to get the data he wanted after all.

The Oregonian newspaper reported his story last week, after which officials in the Transportation Security Administration's office of special counsel in Virginia called TriMet, said agency spokeswoman Mary Fetsch.

The word from the agency, she said, is that security guidelines do not apply to ridership information.