Long Description: Traffic Management Plan Checklist - Step 4
Step 4. Traffic Control Planning (separate plans for ingress and egress)
Assessment: Freeway traffic control
If Assessment applies:
- Develop tactics that minimize freeway mainline congestion as traffic flow breakdowns can occur on ramps, at weaving areas, or at ramp junctions
- Examine value of disseminating en-route traveler information to freeway users
- Develop freeway interchange operations tactics to maximize ramp capacity and prevent freeway mainline congestion
Tips/Examples:
- Considerations for disseminating traveler information to freeway users include: (1) traffic control message for lane management, (2) freeway destination message - engage motorists long before arrival at venue, (3) target destination / parking info message, and (4) advance congestion warning message
- Interchange operations tactics for planned special events include: (1) ramp closures and/or elimination of weaving area, (2) ramp metering and/or rolling road blocks, (3) late diverge prohibition, and (4) additional exit ramp lanes
- Plans vary for ingress and egress
Assessment: Street traffic control
If Assessment applies:
- Develop traffic control strategies aimed at increasing the throughput of local flow routes serving an event venue
- Prepare traffic control plan to provide route guidance for event ingress and egress traffic
Tips/Examples:
- Tactics that serve a predominant high-volume, directional traffic flow during event ingress and egress include a combination of: (1) on-street parking restrictions, (2) vehicle travel on road shoulders, and (3) reversible lane operation, and (4) contraflow operation
- Infrastructure for supporting route guidance and traffic monitoring activities include: (1) temporary trailblazers for venue parking areas and freeways, and (2) temporary static signs designed to MUTCD standards
- Traffic Control plans show location and number of all (1) temporary signs, (2) cones and barricades for lane guidance, (3) location of and message sets for portable message signs, and (4) intersections controlled by traffic officers
- Means to turn off traffic control signals must be provided to posts
Assessment: Intersection traffic control
If Assessment applies:
- Increase intersection traffic handling capacity by simplifying traffic movements and minimizing the number of traffic signal phases
- Use temporary, advance signing for permitted movements that deviate from daily operations
- Instruct traffic control officers to use positive traffic control to minimize headway between vehicles and vehicle stops
- Develop event traffic signal timing plans for a range of contingency scenarios that prioritize either major street or minor street traffic movements
Tips/Examples:
- Use of lane channelization (i.e., setting up physical barriers with cones or other materials to create lanes that force traffic to flow in a pre-set direction) limits competing intersection traffic flow and facilitates continuous traffic flow into a parking area access road or other road segment
- Planned road closures, such as closing a venue ingress route to facilitate event traffic egress through an intersection, also reduce the number of competing intersection traffic flow movements
- Methods to increase time for a specific movement include: (1) selecting a longer cycle to increase the normal favored phase, (2) implementing a custom timing plan favoring a minor street phase - serving venue and parking access road, (3) deploying a contingency "flush" plan to facilitate corridor flow, (4) increasing time for a movement through manual control by a traffic signal system operator
- Intersection traffic control changes from event ingress to egress operations
