A federal appeals court has upheld the constitutionality of random subway searches of straphangers in the Bronx and across the city.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a challenge Friday by the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), saying a lower court judge's ruling was just and that the disruption to travelers was minimal. The NYPD started the program in July 2005 after the deadly terrorist bombings to London's public transportation system. Since then, police officers have thwarted two plots against NYC subways.

The NYCLU argued the searches are too random to be effective and invade straphangers' privacy.