Federal Highway Administration
Office of Operations
Emergency
Transportation
Operations and
Planned Special Events
NTOC Web Cast
April 25, 2007
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.
Shaded Area Demonstrates Areas Currently Covered by FHWA ETO Programs
EVENT SEVERITY
Traffic
Incidents
P
R
O
EB
VA
EB
NI
TL
I
T
Y
Local
Disasters
Major/Regional Catastrophic
Event
Event
Malevolent
Act
Trans
Incidents
PSE
TIM
HazMat
Incidents
Wildfires
PSE
Floods
Maj Storms
Malevolent
Acts
Evacuations
ETO Continuum
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
Traffic Incidents:
State of the Practice
Successful TIM programs have:
•
Regional & Statewide
 comprise 25%
Institutional Coordination
of all congestion
• 24/7 On-Scene TIM Operations
problems
• Integrated Communications &
 925 million
Technologies
hours year
However, communities continue to
 1 minute of
struggle with:
incident duration
• resource limitations
leads to 4 minutes
• # of institutions & differences
of congestion
backups
• interoperability
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”
PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTS
State of the Practice
Planned Special
Events:
 New York City
hosts 5,000+ Events
Annually
$2.5 billion annual
industry in Milwaukee
$1 billion+ in state
tax revenues
Successful PSE programs
have:
•
•
•
Regional & Statewide
Institutional Coordination
Distinct Chronological
Phases: Planning,
Management & Evaluation
Operations & Service
Components
PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTS
Where Are We Now?
GOOD PLAN ELEMENTS
 Agencies’ Participation
 Impact Prediction
 Transportation plan
with contingencies
 Good implementation
 Team & interoperable
communication
 Monitoring during the
event & traffic plan
modification
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
PLANNED SPECIAL EVENTS

What DOT/FHWA Is Doing:
Building Partnerships





Technology Transfer


Transportation Professionals
Emergency Managers
Event Planners
Chambers of Commerce
ICS for Transportation Professionals & PSE Handbook
Applying ITS Solutions



TMCs as Transportation Ops Centers & CCTV
Simulation Models
Variable Message Signs
Emergency Transportation
Operations: The Continuum
• Preparation for PSE
has benefits far
beyond the
implementation of a
well-designed
transportation plan
for a major event.
D.C. Transportation Department officials used traffic cameras to
monitor the experiment. Shown are, from left, Natalie Jones Best,
Michelle Pourciau and Bill Rice.
Photo Credit: By Kevin Clark -- The Washington Post
EVACUATION OPERATIONS
STATE OF THE PRACTICE
Evacuations:
80% of New Orleans
evacuated during
Hurricane Katrina
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
Where Are We Now?
Communities Struggle with:
• Lack of experience
• Ability to collect real-time traffic data
• Relationships—with 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
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
COMMON THREADS
• Decision Making / Planning
• Information / Data Collection /
Coordination
• Communications
• Traffic Control
CHALLENGES
•Integration of transportation ops
into emergency management
operations
•Compatibility
•Scalability
•Partnerships
EVENT SEVERITY
Traffic
Incidents
P
R
O
EB
VA
EB
NI
TL
I
T
Y
Local
Disasters
Major/Regional Catastrophic
Event
Event
Transportation
Trans
Incidents
HazMat
Incidents
Wildfires
Emergency
managers
1st responders
TIM
TIM
Shelter
managers
Health &
medical
Floods
Maj Storms
Malevolent
Acts
Malevolent
Act
Transportation Emergency
Responders
At Federal, State
Regional &
Evacuation Planning
Local levels
PARTNERSHIPS
FUTURE ITS WORK &
APPLICATIONS FOR ETO
•Vehicle Infrastructure Integration
•Next Generation 911
•Integrated Corridor Management
•Road Weather Management Tools
ETO Program Key Contacts
• Kimberly Vasconez FHWA Emergency
Transportation Operations Team Leader,
(202) 366-1559
• Laurel Radow FHWA Evacuation & Planned
Special Events Program Manager (202) 3662855
• FHWA ETO website
http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/opssecurity
• Recommended Multi-functional Site on ETO
& Evacuation Management
http://www.llis.gov