Federal Highway Administration Office of Operations

1
Federal Highway Administration Office of
Operations

• Emergency Transportation Operations and Planned
  Special Events
• NTOC Web Cast
• April 25, 2007

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How we define ETO

• Actions to preserve and improve transportation
  network efficiency and public/responder safety
  when a non-recurring event either interrupts or
  could overwhelm the transportation system.

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Shaded Area Demonstrates Areas Currently Covered
by FHWA ETO Programs
EVENT SEVERITY
Catastrophic Event
Local Disasters
Traffic Incidents
Major/Regional Event
Malevolent Act
PROBABILITY
Trans Incidents
EVENT
PSE
TIM
PSE
HazMat Incidents
Wildfires
Floods

Maj Storms
Evacuations
Malevolent Acts
ETO Continuum
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TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENTState of the Practice

• Successful TIM programs have
• Regional Statewide Institutional Coordination
• 24/7 On-Scene TIM Operations
• Integrated Communications Technologies
• However, communities continue to struggle with
• resource limitations
• of institutions differences
• interoperability

• Traffic Incidents
• comprise 25 of all congestion problems
• 925 million hours year
• 1 minute of incident duration leads to 4
  minutes of congestion backups

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Definition Planned Special Events

• Any public activity that affects the normal
  operation of the surface transportation system.
• Does not include work zones.
• Source Managing Travel for Planned Special
  Events Handbook

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PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTSState of the Practice
Planned Special Events

• Successful PSE programs have
• Regional Statewide Institutional Coordination
• Distinct Chronological Phases Planning,
  Management Evaluation
• Operations Service Components

• New York City hosts 5,000 Events Annually
• 2.5 billion annual industry in Milwaukee
• 1 billion in state tax revenues

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PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTSWhere Are We Now?

• Communities struggle with
• Travel demand
• Influencing travel choices
• Capacity resource limitations
• Pedestrian transit flow
• of institutions differences (event operator
  often is private sector)
• Interoperability
• Ad hoc teams

• GOOD PLAN ELEMENTS
• Agencies Participation
• Impact Prediction
• Transportation plan with contingencies
• Good implementation
• Team interoperable communication
• Monitoring during the event traffic plan
  modification

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PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTSWhat DOT/FHWA Is Doing

• Building Partnerships
• Transportation Professionals
• Emergency Managers
• Event Planners
• Chambers of Commerce
• Technology Transfer
• ICS for Transportation Professionals PSE
  Handbook
• Applying ITS Solutions
• TMCs as Transportation Ops Centers CCTV
• Simulation Models
• Variable Message Signs

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Emergency Transportation Operations The Continuum

• Preparation for PSE has benefits far beyond the
  implementation of a well-designed transportation
  plan for a major event.

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EVACUATION OPERATIONSSTATE OF THE PRACTICE

• Successful Evacuation Programs Have
• Transportation EM Partnership
• Can Collect Real-time Traffic Data
• Contraflow Planning
• Plans for Communicating with Public
• Cooperative relationships with shelters those
  with special mobility needs
• Contraflow plans, used as needed

Evacuations

• 80 of New Orleans evacuated during Hurricane
  Katrina

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EVACUATIONS Where Are We Now?

• Communities Struggle with
• Lack of experience
• Ability to collect real-time traffic data
• Relationshipswith Emergency Management, 1st
  responders, neighboring counties, etc.
• ITS Survivability Useful in Disaster Operations
• Transportation Role in Communicating with Public
• Coordination with Shelters Groups Supporting
  Those with Special Mobility Needs

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EVACUATIONS What DOT/FHWA Is Doing

• Stakeholder Coordination
• Technology Transfer, Training Outreach
• Evacuation Plan Evaluation Criteria
• Primer Series
• Regional Seminars
• Research Development
• Using ITS Solutions
• Wireless CCTV connection to TMC EOC
• Decision Support Systems
• GIS
• Weather sensors

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COMMON THREADS

• Decision Making / Planning
• Information / Data Collection / Coordination
• Communications
• Traffic Control

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CHALLENGES

• Integration of transportation ops into emergency
  management operations
• Compatibility
• Scalability
• Partnerships

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PARTNERSHIPS
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FUTURE ITS WORK APPLICATIONS FOR ETO

• Vehicle Infrastructure Integration
• Next Generation 911
• Integrated Corridor Management
• Road Weather Management Tools

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ETO Program Key Contacts

• Kimberly Vasconez FHWA Emergency Transportation
  Operations Team Leader, [phone]
• Laurel Radow FHWA Evacuation Planned Special
  Events Program Manager [phone]
• FHWA ETO website http//www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/opsse
  curity
• Recommended Multi-functional Site on ETO
  Evacuation Management http//www.llis.gov