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Table of Contents

List of Acronyms

I.   Executive Summary

II.   Introduction

III.  Conference Program

IV.   Conference Outcomes

Appendix A: List of Conference Participants

Appendix B: Plenary Session Presentations

Appendix C: Conference Discussion Papers

Appendix D: Priority Issues and Actions/Initiatives

Appendix E: Issues and Actions/Initiatives Generated in the Breakout Sessions

Appendix F: Post-Conference Survey Summary

List of Acronyms

I.   Executive Summary

Traffic incidents have a great effect on the safety of responders and on the mobility of the traveling public using our nation's roadways. They can contribute to responder deaths and injuries, response equipment damage, motorist injuries through secondary crashes, and the cost and time of traffic delay in urban and rural areas. Integrated traffic incident management (TIM) is emerging as a proven solution to address these safety and mobility concerns. Traffic incident management is a planned and coordinated process to detect, respond to, and remove traffic incidents and restore traffic capacity as safely and quickly as possible. It involves the coordinated interactions of multiple public agencies and private sector partners.

To develop and advance a national agenda for improved traffic incident management, the National Conference on Traffic Incident Management was held on March 11-13, 2002, at The Beckman Center in Irvine, California. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA), and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) sponsored the conference. A steering committee, composed of representatives from the fire and emergency response, law enforcement, towing and recovery, technology, transportation, and user communities, assisted in refining conference goals, developing the program, and soliciting participation within and across their disciplines. The steering committee was led by AASHTO, who along with FHWA, appointed steering committee members, contracted for conference planning and support, and reviewed and approved the content of the proceedings.

The conference sponsors invited practitioners and policy level experts from these disciplines to participate. Participants were selected to achieve a balance between urban and rural perspectives; to identify possible "champions" for moving the national agenda forward after the conference; and to involve individuals who could draw upon experience, success stories, and lessons learned in crafting a national agenda. One hundred and sixty-seven professionals participated in the conference to discuss barriers to improving traffic incident management and to identify and prioritize actions that can be taken to address the barriers and opportunities.

The National Conference on Traffic Incident Management was organized in three phases. On March 11^th, experts presented, in a plenary session, the history, safety, societal impact, and issues associated with traffic incident management from the perspective of police, fire, transportation, and other public and private sector partners. The speakers provided a foundation for attendee participation throughout the rest of the conference. On March 12^th, participants discussed, in small groups work sessions, their priority issues for advancing the state of the practice in traffic incident management and recommended actions/initiatives to address these issues. These breakout sessions were divided into three focus areas: Operational Issues, Technological Issues, and Institutional Issues. On March 13^th, participants further refined the priority actions and initiatives and began to identify potential next steps to advance the traffic incident management agenda at the national level.

Conference participants identified seven overall action items as most important for guiding a national agenda for traffic incident management. More than half of the actions came from the institutional area, while two technological actions/initiatives were cited for better regional and cross-agency coordination. Important action items were also identified for each of the breakout session focus areas. Operational Action Items focused on improved responder training, funding (e.g., for incident management plan templates and state-wide program development), and better traffic control (quick clearance, keeping lanes open, and detour/diversion plans). Technological Action Items highlighted the need for a regional/cross-agency focus (e.g., funding, development of systems architectures, and sharing information and technology). Institutional Action Items centered on standards and metrics (e.g., national program models and guidelines, performance benchmarks, benefit/cost approaches), a common voice for public safety, and communicating benefits in the context of broader community issues.

The conference recommendations suggest five key components for implementing a national traffic incident management strategy: (1) a national TIM framework/coalition, (2) TIM program development, (3) professionalizing traffic incident management, (4) TIM technology, and (5) communication, public outreach, and education. While not shown as a separate key element, research is also necessary throughout for an effective strategy. The conference sponsors are committed to moving forward with a national traffic incident management strategy. During Summer 2002, efforts will be underway to explore the formation of a new national coalition to provide national leadership in addressing the conference recommendations. One of the main goals of this coalition will be begin an outreach/education process on the results of this conference and the need for action in implementing the key components of a national traffic incident management strategy.

II.   Introduction

Traffic incidents have a great effect on the safety of responders and on the mobility of the traveling public using our nation's roadways. In 1999, over half of the police officers killed in the line of duty died in traffic crashes. Nearly 10,000 police cars, 2,000 fire trucks, and 3,000 other service vehicles were struck while going to or at traffic incidents. Crashes that result from other incidents make up 14-18% of all crashes. These secondary crashes are estimated to cause 18% of deaths on freeways. Traveler mobility and productivity are also adversely affected by incidents and incident management. Well over half of non-recurring traffic delay in urban areas, and a large majority in rural areas, is a result of traffic incidents.[1] Estimates of what users spend on highways (i.e., out of pocket costs for freight, shipping over highways, auto owners' use and operation of vehicles) total about $1 trillion per year. Estimates of total delay in rural and urban areas contribute an additional $1 trillion per year. In addition to the delay costs, there is close to $200 billion per year in direct economic loss due to accidents and fatalities.

Integrated traffic incident management (TIM) is emerging as a proven solution to address these safety and mobility concerns. Traffic incident management is a planned and coordinated process to detect, respond to, and remove traffic incidents and restore traffic capacity as safely and quickly as possible. It involves the coordinated interactions of multiple public agencies and private sector partners.

To develop and advance a national agenda for improved traffic incident management, the National Conference on Traffic Incident Management was held on March 11-13, 2002, at The Beckman Center in Irvine, California. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA), and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) sponsored the conference. A steering committee, composed of representatives from the fire and emergency response, law enforcement, towing and recovery, technology, transportation, and user communities, assisted in refining the conference goals, developing the program, and soliciting support and participation within and across their disciplines. The steering committee was led by AASHTO, who along with FHWA, appointed steering committee members, contracted for conference planning and support, and reviewed and approved the content of the proceedings.

This conference was designed to build upon decades of work in the incident management area. Over the past ten years, organizations have sponsored initiatives to determine the state of the practice, develop guidance in creating traffic incident management programs, document successful practices, assess needs, and provide training and education. Some examples of these efforts include:

• The National Incident Management Coalition, established in the early 1990s to support, heighten awareness of, and provide education on incident management.

• Traffic Incident Management Handbook, published by FHWA in 1991 and updated in November 2000 to assist transportation and public safety agencies improve their programs and operations.

• Managing Traffic Incidents and Roadway Emergencies, a National Highway Institute course taught continuously since 1998, designed for mid- and upper-level managers for all agencies involved in incident management. Focuses on practices to obtain good inter-agency and inter-disciplinary understanding and cooperation.

• Incident Management Successful Practices: A Cross-Cutting Study, published by FHWA in April 2000 to document successful partnerships, benefits of TIM programs, and lessons learned in TIM programs around the United States.

• An Assessment of Select Metropolitan Washington Public Safety and Transportation Agencies User Needs, a February 2001 report from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the University of Virginia for the Capital Wireless Integration Network (CapWIN) Project. The report evaluates the current status of information sharing and major issues, concerns, and elements of CapWIN participants' needs.

• Regional Traffic Incident Management Programs: An Implementation Guide, a May 2001 FHWA publication describing a program formation process to provide institutional cohesion to help assure the continuity and success of traffic incident management programs.

• Traffic Incident Management Expert Focus Groups, an initiative of the National Incident Management Coalition, documented in a September 2001 report, to examine current practices, common challenges, the future of traffic incident management, measuring success, and determining the federal role.

The goal of the National Conference on Traffic Incident Management was to integrate all of these efforts and determine what actions need to be taken at the national level to reinforce and advance the traffic incident management agenda.

The conference sponsors and steering committee invited practitioners and policy level experts from the fire and emergency response, law enforcement, towing and recovery, technology, transportation, and user communities to participate. Criteria for selecting participants included: a balance between urban and rural perspectives; possible "champions" for moving the national agenda forward after the conference; and individuals who could draw upon experience, success stories, and lessons learned in crafting a national agenda. One hundred and sixty-seven professionals participated in the conference to discuss barriers to improving traffic incident management and to identify and prioritize actions that can be taken to address barrier issues. A complete list of conference attendees can be found in Appendix A.

III.  Conference Program

The National Conference on Traffic Incident Management was organized in three phases, as shown in the figure below. On March 11^th,experts, in the plenary session, presented the history, safety, societal impact, and issues associated with traffic incident management from the perspective of police, fire, transportation, and other public and private sector partners. They provided a foundation for attendee participation throughout the rest of the conference. On March 12^th, participants attended small group discussion sessions designed to solicit their input on priority issues for advancing the state of the practice in traffic incident management and on recommended actions/initiatives to address these issues. On March 13^th, participants further refined the priority actions and initiatives to address TIM issues. In addition, the conference sponsoring organizations began to identify potential next steps to advance the traffic incident management agenda at the national level.

Opening Remarks

Mr. Tony Kane, Director of Engineering and Technical Services, AASHTO, opened the conference by welcoming participants and citing some of the urgent reasons for addressing traffic incident management as a high priority.  Incidents cause well over half of non-recurring traffic delay in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas. Estimates of what users spend on highways (i.e., out of pocket costs for freight, shipping over highways, auto owners' use and operation of vehicles) total about $1 trillion per year. Estimates of total delay in rural and urban areas add up to another $1 trillion per year. In addition, there is close to $200 billion per year in economic loss due to accidents and fatalities. These are very large numbers to address and reduce. A strong focus on safety and mobility is needed to have as few incidents as possible, to clear incidents as quickly as possible, to preserve the safety of police, fire, rescue, and emergency responders, and to restore mobility.

Citing the reference materials provided to participants, Mr. Kane noted that while this is not the first conference for traffic incident management, it will be a defining one for the future agenda. He reiterated the goal of the conference to develop priority recommendations to guide the emerging national agenda for traffic incident management. Through this conference, participants will have the opportunity to discuss and develop recommendations in areas including research and development, technology deployment, institutional arrangements, legislative and regulatory actions, and training.

Welcome Address

In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Randell Iwasaki, Deputy Director for Maintenance and Operations, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), noted that California's experience with many natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, fires, and floods) has shown that information is key for both large and small incidents. Without accurate and up-to-date information, poor decisions are made. Mr. Iwasaki outlined a number of challenges related to large-scale incident management, including receiving information in many forms; the challenge of obtaining complete information in the first 48 hours of any disaster; and the difficulties partners have in communicating with each other. He noted that numerous small incidents are dealt with daily around the nation. For example, thousands of lane closures are requested weekly in the Los Angeles area. Responders have learned to be more proactive and clear incidents quicker.

Mr. Iwasaki stated that the events of September 11 were a turning point for incident management. As a result, California is applying some of its lessons learned to make response better. Among the initiatives he cited were:

• Improving the advanced transportation management system for earlier detection and verification of major and minor incidents so that the appropriate resources can be utilized.

• Refining the existing Incident and Disaster Management Plan with the California Highway Patrol.

• Integrating emergency management centers with local transportation management centers to provide alternative route options on the local system.

• Using State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds to provide better connectivity between modes.

• Expanding the fully interoperable radio system in San Diego to Los Angeles and Sacramento.

Mr. Iwasaki indicated one of the most critical pieces to successful incident management is developing and growing the necessary partnerships. He emphasized this conference is designed to help participants learn from collective experiences, find ways to become more proactive, and refine national agenda for traffic incident management. On behalf of Jeff Morales, Director of Caltrans, Mr. Iwasaki welcomed conference participants to California and thanked John Horsley, Executive Director of AASHTO for his organization's leadership in this area.

Plenary Session Presentations

The conference opened with a plenary session in which participants heard a multi-disciplinary panel discussion and presentations on rural and urban incident management perspectives and lessons learned. Three discussion papers focusing on operational, technological, and institutional TIM issues were also presented in the plenary session on Day Two of the conference. Together, these sessions formed the basis for participant discussion on the issues and actions necessary for improving traffic incident management. A more detailed summary of the plenary session presentations and the full text of the discussion papers can be found in Appendix B and Appendix C of this report.

IV.   Conference Outcomes

Breakout Session Results

During breakout sessions, participants identified and prioritized issues for advancing the state of the practice in traffic incident management. They defined candidate actions/initiatives to be taken to address the priority issues. Breakout sessions were organized around the Operational, Technological, and Institutional discussion paper topics. Participants rotated through the session topics, so that each attendee had the opportunity to comment on all three areas.

A set of common priority issues and actions/initiatives emerged from the breakout sessions. These were presented in a plenary session by topic area and included:

The priority issues and actions/initiatives presented in the plenary session can be found in Appendix D.

A full reporting of all of the issues and actions/initiatives generated in the breakout sessions can be found in Appendix E.

Prioritization of Actions/Initiatives

After hearing the breakout session output, participants provided further insights for guiding a national agenda by prioritizing their proposed actions/initiatives to improve traffic incident management. Participants were asked to choose those as "most important" in each area of operations, institution, and technology from among the full set of 435 actions/initiatives The results of this prioritization are shown below. Operational Action Items focused on responder training, funding (e.g., for incident management plan templates and state-wide program development), and traffic control (quick clearance, keeping lanes open, and detour/diversion plans). Technological Action Items highlighted the need for a regional/cross-agency focus (e.g., funding, development of systems architectures, and sharing information and technology). Institutional Action Items centered on standards and metrics (e.g., national program models and guidelines, performance benchmarks, benefit/cost approaches), a common voice for public safety, and communicating benefits in the context of broader community issues.

The results of participants' prioritization across all actions/initiatives suggest the need to focus on institutional issues. Within the list of the most important overall action items, more than half of the actions come from the institutional area. The two technological actions/initiatives cite the need to improve regional and cross-agency coordination. Key phrases that summarize major actions/initiatives by each category are shown in ovals in the graphic below.

On the final day of the conference, Jeff Lindley, Director, Office of Travel Management, FHWA led a panel to solicit reactions to the discussions and priority items developed during the conference. He noted the issues he expected to hear at this conference were brought forward – communication on the institutional and technical sides, information sharing, the need for more resources, and the need for more training. Mr. Lindley was surprised by a few of the emerging themes, including the amount of dialogue on performance measures, standards, and how the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) relates to positive traffic control. He commented that the depth of the recommendations coming forward from this conference was outstanding.

John Conrad, Chairman, Future Strategic Highway Research Program (F-SHRP), Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Regional Operations, Washington Department of Transportation, noted that he was extremely impressed how such a diverse group of people came together with a common purpose at this conference. Mr. Conrad reviewed the F-SHRP agenda, which is being developed around making a significant improvement to highway safety, providing highway capacity in support of national economic and environmental goals, providing a highway system with reliable travel times, and accelerating the renewal of America's highways. He noted several important recommendations emerged from this conference.  Performance measures will be necessary to advance the traffic incident management program. A national coalition with a common voice and vision is needed to nurture relationships with various federal agencies. Communication is key for institutional issues, interoperability and integration challenges, and in letting the traveling public know what is happening on the roadways. In terms of next steps, Mr. Conrad commented that even though the purpose of conference was to put together a national agenda, many of the results can be taken back to local areas and put into effect right away. He also stressed the need to help support the national coalition as it forms.

Rebecca Brewster, Deputy Director, American Trucking Association Foundation, presented her feedback from the perspective of a user of the system. She thanked participants on behalf of the trucking industry for keeping highways safe. The costs for heavy vehicles to sit in traffic are very high and have a large impact nationally. Ms. Brewster noted the operational issues are very important to the user and particularly to the trucking industry. With regard to certification, the towing community has the most contact with truckers during incidents. Anything that can be done to further educate towers on proper scene operations will help in getting incidents cleared and in handling equipment properly.

Motorist information is also critical to the trucking industry. There is an obligation to get real-time, accurate information to drivers. In terms of positive traffic control, establishing queue protection, providing incident information, and setting up the scene give truckers the opportunity to slow down. In addition, Ms. Brewster cited the importance of quick clearance, scene safety, secondary incident information, and technology improvements to provide better incident information. She stated the trucking industry supports increased resources to meet institutional challenges and has made this part of their transportation reauthorization recommendations. Ms. Brewster referenced the National Incident Management Coalition established in the 1990s to support, heighten awareness of, and provide education on incident management. She commented that a new organization would be a great addition to this effort.

Barbara Hauser, Incident Management Coordinator, Maricopa County, Arizona Department of Transportation, provided a county-level perspective. She noted the Phoenix area is in a unique situation; the police and fire departments are leaders in getting along and promoting successful interagency cooperation. Ms. Hauser stated that this conference has brought out the need to consider the regional nature of incident management in planning. It has been recognized that incidents do not just happen on the freeways; they happen on and affect arterials. Ms. Hauser commented that the transportation community will not be a player until it has representatives with the same expertise as police and fire. Transportation needs to have people out on the road who will respond to incidents at 2:00 or 3:00 AM. There is also a need for a shift in thinking in the traffic community. For example, the first thing done when responding to the scene is protect it. This is backwards from what is trained in traffic control. Unless experience is developed, the need for change will not be realized. In addition, certification needs to be implemented. In closing, Ms. Hauser noted this conference is a very good start and was pleased to see the level of fire and police representation.

Don Grabowski, Deputy Commissioner, Chicago Department of Transportation, discussed four areas that need attention as traffic incident management initiatives move forward. He commented that getting money from the federal government can be a large task and that lobbying should be undertaken to ease procedures for receiving funds. He also emphasized the importance of funds being allocated in a way that is best suited for the situation. Mr. Grabowski provided the example that for the towing industry, equipment to overturn a large vehicle is very expensive. In rural area this equipment may not be readily available. He suggested that it may be possible to find ways for state and local governments to secure funding to pay for equipment and turn it over to an operator. Mr. Grabowski also highlighted the need for a national society/association for traffic incident management. This organization could provide forums, like an annual meeting, to exchange ideas and to share best practices. Mr. Grabowski stated that in terms of technology, everyone agrees it needs to be used. However, sometimes there is so much technology available, that it becomes hard to discern what to use. Finally, Mr. Grabowski expressed concern about the lack of representation from the transit community. He noted that dense urban areas with sizable mass transit systems need to be prepared to deal with transit incidents. Transit organizations need to have a stake in incident management planning.

Ann Lorscheider, ITS Program Engineer, North Carolina Department of Transportation, focused her comments on communications and standards. She stated that if people cannot talk to each other to begin with, there is no technology in the world that will make them talk. She stressed the need not only for a shared language between safety and transportation, but also the ability to communicate with executive decision makers and technology implementers. Ms. Lorscheider also noted the need for open networks and shared information. With regard to standards, Ms. Lorscheider commented that transportation-driven technology standards on how to exchange messages between public safety and transportation would be beneficial. She stated that outreach and building liaisons with other organizations is critical to this, and all, incident management efforts.

Ed Plaugher, Chief, Arlington County, VA Fire Department, stated the fire service has paid some severe prices over years for doing things in narrow minded way. They have found these approaches do not work and are making corrective strides. The biggest stride is that they are now doing things with a fire fighter safety focus in mind. Chief Plaugher also noted that highway operation and management priorities need to be revisited. The highway incident situation is overwhelmingly complex. There is much to be done to make improvements, but the end result will make the highways safer for all.

Chief Plaugher commented that the number one thing firefighters do operationally, more than fighting fires or stopping a chemical leak, is pull someone out of an automobile. Firefighters are actually on the highway more than any other place. Chief Plaugher commended the attitude of the partnership that has been started at this conference and noted that it must be carried on; no one entity can achieve the goals of integrated traffic incident management by itself. Chief Plaugher highlighted the need for training and education. He stated that firefighters are better at what they do if they have clear objectives to achieve and are rewarded for achieving them. Cooperation from the public is necessary to being successful in the firefighting business. The fire service has cut deaths in fires in the United States by over 50%, mainly through educating the public. Chief Plaugher stated that these same techniques need to be used in traffic incident management. Teaching the American motoring public to move better and react in a proper way will cut loss of life on highways in half. Chief Plaugher noted two areas in which the fire community may need assistance and education – quick clearance and secondary incidents. Quick clearance may not be a term to which firefighters will easily relate, and it may not occur to firefighters that highway incidents can cause secondary, and potentially more lethal, incidents. He suggested that working directly with the fire community on these issues will raise awareness about their importance. The fire industry is very focused on best practices for scene safety. In closing, Chief Plaugher noted that standards are a large part of the firefighting world. A great deal of time and money has been spent writing standards. He stated the fire community has experience in writing codes and standards and will be glad to share what they have learned and participate in standards development.

John Pohlman, Captain, Blue Ash, OH Police Department, commented that while there are good interagency working relationships in the Cincinnati area, the extent of institutional concerns indicate that everyone needs to get together and talk more. Captain Pohlman noted that not everyone is aware of the state of the art in incident management. Police departments have come a long way since 1970.  Police are usually the last ones to come on board, but they have been rapidly progressing. Those who are getting promoted in police departments are also anxious to get involved in issues like incident management.

Captain Pohlman cautioned about the need to consider the audience for incident management initiatives. There are 40,000 police departments in the United States. Most agencies have less than 10 officers and do not have interstate highways going through their jurisdictions. Officers in general have little interest in traffic because there are practically no traffic problems in most communities. However, traffic does affect metropolitan areas and rural areas in the country. In addition, while there is great deal of focus on crime today, many do not realize that more people are killed and injured in traffic crashes than by crime. Captain Pohlman advocated proactive training and certification, starting the initiative immediately and educating first responders about the importance of accurate information. He suggested those who make policy decisions should ride with the police for a shift to see exactly what happens at a scene. Captain Pohlman pointed to homeland security as an important area for resources, as well as an opportunity to collaboratively build responses to many different incidents. In closing, Chief Pohlman noted that the technical and institutional areas must support the operations. He also stressed that improvements for traffic incident management should be looked at locally, instead of waiting for someone else to provide assistance.

Closing Remarks

Representatives from the sponsoring organizations – Bill Baker, ITS America, Jeff Lindley, FHWA, and Tony Kane, AASHTO – provided final comments and an indication of next steps.

Bill Baker stated that ITS America's interdisciplinary Public Safety Advisory Group serves as a spokesgroup for and advises the U.S. Department of Transportation on public safety issues. Its first national public safety conference was held 18 months ago. This current effort can be considered the second national conference, and the third conference will be sponsored with AASHTO and held in 2003. Mr. Baker commented that the issues raised during this conference will be the focus for next steps for AASHTO, FHWA's public safety program, and ITSA's public safety advisory group. He suggested that more joint sponsorship of activities such as this will be seen in the future.

Jeff Lindley remarked the goal of this conference, developing national program recommendations, was achieved. In terms of future directions, he stated that many of the recommendations will be integrated into FHWA's incident management and public safety programs. In addition, the ideas and comments from this conference will be used to shape FHWA's congestion goal area, will be considered in the F-SHRP program, and will assist with the transportation reauthorization efforts.

Tony Kane stated that the transportation community will need to continually make an effort to view incident management from the perspective of the emergency responders. He noted that the transportation community can be instrumental in leadership and funding roles for incident management. Like the other closing speakers, he emphasized the impact this conference will have on reauthorization, F-SHRP, and standards activities. Mr. Kane also expressed a commitment to exploring the formation of a national coalition to take recommendations from this conference and provide national leadership. He underscored the point that success in incident management can lead to benefits for traffic flow.

Post-Conference Survey

After the conference, a survey was sent to all attendees thanking them for their participation and requesting additional input. The survey questions were designed to make sure conference sponsors heard all of the traffic incident management issues and actions that were most important to the participants. Fifty-seven individuals, 34% of conference attendees, responded to the survey. Below is a break down of responses by discipline represented at the conference. A summarized version of the survey responses can be found in Appendix F.

Survey respondents were asked if they felt that the breakout session format allowed for the capture of their most important issues and ideas. Over four-fifths (83.9%) felt that the breakout session format captured their ideas; 16.1% did not.

Those who did not feel their issues and ideas were captured during the breakout sessions were provided the opportunity to submit them in their survey response in an open-ended format. Highlights of these additional issues and action items are shown below. The most frequently mentioned comments focused on the need to work across disciplines and agencies to develop regional approaches and the need to continue expanding the participation in traffic incident management discussions into the towing industry and public safety arena. These findings are consistent with the main conference results.