Draft Final Report

EFFECTS OF CATASTROPHIC EVENTS ON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

AND OPERATIONS

THE PENTAGON AND THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

FINDINGS

Prepared by

March 2002

Prepared for

U.S. Department of Transportation

ITS Joint Program Office

EFFECTS OF CATASTROPHIC EVENTS

ON TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

AND OPERATIONS

THE PENTAGON AND THE NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

DRAFT REPORT: FINDINGS

Mark R. Carter

Mark P. Howard

Nicholas Owens

David Register

Jason Kennedy

Kelley Pecheux

Aaron Newton

March 2002

Prepared by

Prepared for

U.S. Department of Transportation

Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office

Washington, D.C.

FOREWORD

This report was prepared by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) for the U.S. DOT's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office. The SAIC study team consisted of Mark Carter, the project manager; Mark P. Howard; Nicholas Owens; David Register; Jason Kennedy; Aaron Newton; and Kelley Pecheux. Vince Pearce is the U.S. DOT task manager of the review.

The report documents the actions taken by transportation agencies in response to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. on September 11, and is part of a larger effort to examine the impacts of catastrophic events on transportation system facilities and services. The findings documented in this report are a result of the creation of a detailed chronology of events in the National Capital Region, a literature search, and interviews of key personnel involved in transportation operations decision-making on September 11. As part of a larger effort, four case studies will be produced:

· New York City, September 11, 2001

· Washington, D.C., September 11, 2001

· Baltimore, Maryland, rail tunnel fire, July 18, 2001

· Northridge, California, earthquake, January 17, 1994.

Each of these events resulted in substantial, immediate, and adverse impacts on transportation, and each has had varying degrees of influence on the longer-term operation of transportation facilities and services in their respective region. Each event revealed important information about the response of the transportation system to major stress and the ability of operating agencies and their public safety and emergency management partners to respond effectively to a crisis. This report emphasizes the transportation aspects of this catastrophic event and lessons learned that could be incorporated into future emergency response planning.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FOREWORD.. iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv

TABLE OF FIGURES. v

The Pentagon and the National Capital Region, September 11, 2001.. 1

1. Introduction. 1

1.1 Regional Context 1

Political Subdivisions. 1

Operating Agencies. 2

Federal Agencies. 2

2. Transportation System Response. 5

2.1 Pre-Event 5

Transportation Infrastructure. 5

Traffic Conditions and Transit Use. 7

2.2 Day of Event 10

Operational Decisions and Impacts. 12

Northern Virginia. 12

Maryland. 13

Washington, D.C. 14

Traffic Impacts: Travel Time and Congestion. 17

2.3 Post- Event 20

3. Findings. 22

3.1 Planning and Preparedness by Individual Agencies. 22

3.2 Institutional Coordination (Across Agencies) 22

3.3 Communications. 23

3.4 Operating Decisions. 24

3.5 Role of Advanced Technology. 25

3.6 Redundancy and Resiliency of Systems. 26

4. Conclusion. 28

Appendices 31

1. Detailed Chronology. 31

2. Literature Review: Information Sources and Documents Reviewed. 36

3. Related Activities Being Performed by Other Agencies. 40

TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1. National Capital Region. 1