Appendix A. Rapid Response Research: Information Request

Section 1: Traffic Operations Agency Organization

  1. Please identify the partner organizations that created your regional traffic operations agency. Check all that apply.

Regional Transportation Partners:

  • State Department of Transportation (DOT)
  • Local (city or county) governments
  • Local (city or county) DOTs
  • Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)
  • Local (city or county) Departments of Public Works (DPWs)
  • Local public transportation providers
  • Universities/transportation research centers
  • Private sector technology vendors and/or service providers
  • State Police
  • Local (city and county) law enforcement
  • Local emergency management agency
  • Other (please specify):
  1. Which description most accurately characterizes the organization of your regional traffic operations agency? Please check only one response.

Traffic Operations Agency Categorization:

  • a single facility responsible for traffic operations within a given region or metropolitan area, that may be co-located with other transportation agencies/functions, public safety personnel, or agencies who do not perform transportation-related activities
  • the hub-and-spoke arrangement, in which a centralized facility is connected to, and shares management of, the transportation system with supporting operations centers
  • the distributed control model, in which "virtual control" is provided through the shared implementation of a wide-area network. Localized management of signals and other traffic control elements ensures that the wide-area network is used for information and coordination, rather than actual operations
  1. In managing day-to-day traffic incidents and operations, which organizations does your agency coordinate with most closely? Please check all that apply.

Agency

  • State DOT
  • Local (city or county) DOT
  • Local (city or county) DPW
  • Local EOC
  • State police
  • County police
  • Local police
  • Local fire officials
  • EMS officials
  • Private towing companies
  • Incident response team
  • HazMat response team
  • Other (please specify):

Section 2: Emergency Event Notification and Verification

  1. In the event of an unexpected emergency in your region (such as a bombing, structural collapse, tornado, multiple fatality accident, technological accident), how are traffic operations personnel typically notified?
Means of Notification? Notified by Whom?
Telephone empty cell
Email broadcast message empty cell
Fax empty cell
Beeper/pager empty cell
Free cellular phone number empty cell
Radio calls (service patrol, supervisors, etc.) empty cell
Call boxes empty cell
Automated notification (E-911, police dispatch) empty cell
Regional/multi-state incident reporting system empty cell
Computerized algorithm for remote sensors empty cell
Local media empty cell
In-person (at a shared or co-located facility) empty cell
Other (please specify): empty cell
Do not know empty cell
  1. How long might it take for traffic operations personnel to receive notification from the occurrence of the emergency event?

Time for Notification:

  • Less than 5 minutes
  • 5 to 10 minutes
  • 10 to 15 minutes
  • More than 15 minutes
  • Do not know
  1. Does your traffic operations agency have an agreed-upon protocol through which local or state law enforcement reports the occurrence of emergency events with the potential to significantly disrupt traffic in your jurisdiction?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Is there a real-time electronic transfer of incident information from the primary Emergency 911 center to your agency?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, what information is typically received? (Describe)
  2. Is your traffic management center directly connected to the state highway patrol (or local law enforcement) computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, what information is typically received? (Describe)
  2. If your traffic operations center is not directly connected to a state or local law enforcement CAD system, do you have access to state and/or local law enforcement personnel through shared or co-located space in the traffic operations center?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. During notification, what information would you like to receive that you currently do not get? Who could provide this information?

List Information Needed and Agency That Could Provide It

Section 3: Threat and Warning Systems

  1. How does your agency currently monitor Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) Alert Levels and local/regional/state warning systems? Please check all that apply.

Means of Notification:

  • Email/phone/fax/pager distribution lists with local law enforcement
  • Email/phone/fax/pager distribution lists with local emergency management/homeland security agencies
  • Email/phone/fax/pager distribution lists with State agencies
  • Regional/multi-state incident reporting system
  • TMC personnel periodically visit websites (DHS, State EMA, etc,)
  • FBI InfraGard Program
  • NIPC’s ISAC Program (Surface Transportation or other group)
  • AASHTO/APTA security alerts
  • Local media/CNN
  • Emails/faxes from U.S. DOT, FHWA, FTA, FRA, Coast Guard
  • Other (please specify):
  • Do not know
  1. Does your agency currently have access to any of the following resources? Check all that apply.

Response:

  • Be On the Lookout (BOLO)/Wanted Persons reports from local/state law enforcement
  • National Crime Information Center (NCIC) reports – through relationships with partners in law enforcement
  • Advisories and recommendations from local/state law enforcement regarding potential threats
  • Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) briefings/advisories on terrorist methods from local law enforcement and other agencies
  • Warnings and alerts from research centers, public advocacy groups, and think tanks
  • Internet access for open source news stories and monitoring of attacks/incidents
  1. Please identify any issues that you have experienced which limit the effectiveness or usefulness of your current process for monitoring threats and warnings. (Describe)
  2. How does your agency currently monitor warning systems associated with natural disasters? Please check all that apply.

Response:

  • Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS)
  • National Weather Service – Doppler radar and satellite data
  • Local media/weather channel/CNN
  • Partnerships with local universities/private companies or other local/state agencies to obtain and publicize weather-related information
  • Subscription services to weather information providers for flood warning, lightening, tornados, volcanic activity monitoring, snow/ice, etc.
  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) surface weather observations
  • Field reports from DOT and State Patrol personnel
  • Other (please specify):
  • Do not know
  1. Please identify any issues that you have experienced which limit the effectiveness or usefulness of your current process for monitoring road weather conditions. (Describe)

Section 4: Emergency Response

  1. Does your regional traffic operations center deploy personnel or contractors directly under your control on-scene in the event of a major emergency?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

If the answer is "no," please skip to question 25.

  1. If yes to Question 19, which personnel are typically deployed?

Response:

  • Service patrol/Incident Response Team (IRT)
  • Traffic operations supervisors
  • Towing companies
  • Hazardous materials clean-up crews
  • Maintenance supervisors and personnel
  • Field technicians
  • Other (please specify):
  • Do not know
  1. If your agency deploys personnel on-scene, are they trained in the incident command system (ICS) so that they can integrate more effectively with the response initiated by local emergency responders?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If your agency deploys personnel on-scene, have procedures or agreements been developed with local responders to support their participation in the response effort?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Please describe how your on-scene personnel coordinate with the ICS established for the emergency event (i.e., report to designated briefing area, sign in, establish or join transportation command post, coordinate with Incident Liaison Officer regarding requests, establishing staging areas, tracking resources, supporting scene stabilization and safety, etc.). (Describe)
  2. If your agency deploys personnel on-scene, how do traffic operations personnel at the center communicate with them?

Response:

  • Radio
  • Cell phone/digital "walkie-talkie" system
  • Beeper/pager
  • Telephone
  • Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) in vehicle
  • Call boxes
  • Other (please specify):
  • Do not know

Section 5: Emergency Communications

  1. During an emergency event which requires transportation support and affects transportation operations, is your agency the primary communications and coordination hub for the transportation response?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, has your agency developed protocols with other local and state transportation functions to track activities performed by these partners to manage the emergency (road closures, alternate routes, signal timing plans, debris removal operations, bus bridges, etc.)?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, has your agency developed automated tools to track the status of the transportation response and to monitor the likely impacts on traffic demand and capacity?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Does your agency have a system or automated tool in place to share status information with other transportation operations centers that may be affected in neighboring regions or states?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, please identify the system (or systems) by name (i.e., I-95 Corridor Coalition Information Exchange Network [IEN], the Highway Closure Reporting System [HCRS], the Conditions Acquisition and Reporting System [CARS], etc.). (Describe)
  2. Has your agency coordinated with local responders to develop a system for categorizing the severity of an event such that its likely impacts on transportation operations can be assessed early on and communicated to affected transportation organizations (i.e., a Level 1 event will likely result in road closure for no more than 2 hours; a Level 2 event for 2 to 4 hours; a Level 3 event for 4 to 8 hours; and a level 4 event for more than 8 hours)?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. A primary traffic operations center function during emergency response is to coordinate communications among the various agencies that may respond to the event. Please describe how your agency coordinates with the local Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the State EOC during a major emergency. (Describe)
  2. In the event of a major emergency, does your agency place a representative at the local EOC or State EOC to coordinate strategic activities and response planning for transportation?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

Section 6: Identification of Support Facilities, Work Zones and Roadway Characteristics

  1. Has your agency supported activity within your jurisdiction to identify existing facilities and road-side locations along major segments of the transportation system that could provide parking and/or staging sites for local responders?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, is this information readily accessible to traffic operations personnel?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, in what format is this information available (i.e., hard copy, database, GIS map, etc.)? (Describe)
  2. Does your agency have access to a listing of temporary shelter sites/reception centers for emergency evacuations?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Does your agency have a call-out/contact list to support mobilization of transportation personnel in response to an emergency?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Can your agency readily identify work zones/construction activity that may affect the performance of roadways/freeways within your jurisdiction under emergency conditions?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, has your agency developed an automated tool to manage this information?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Does your agency maintain a Roadway Characteristics Inventory to support information sharing with local responders and the development of detour/diversion strategies for the transportation system in real-time?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. If yes, what types of information are captured in the Roadway Characteristics Inventory (i.e., height and weight restrictions, number of lanes and configurations, traffic volume, turning restrictions, etc.)? (Describe)
  2. If yes, is this system automated in a database or other electronic information management system?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

Section 7: Detours/Diversions and Emergency Evacuation Routes

  1. In your jurisdiction, has your agency supported or coordinated development of any of the following for rapid implementation during an actual emergency? (Answer yes or no)

Detours and Evacuation Routes:

  • Pre-designated detours and diversion routes for potentially affected areas of the transportation system
  • Lifeline routes for emergency responder access to sections of the transportation system
  • Evacuation routes (primary and secondary) for major segments of the transportation system
  • Transit management plans – to use public transportation and special routing to support evacuation
  1. Has your agency worked with your local jurisdiction to identify criteria for selecting and recommending detours/diversions and evacuations?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Has your jurisdiction developed and tested traffic control strategies for particular alternate routes/detours, contraflow operations and phased evacuations?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

  1. Please identify any transportation planning, modeling or simulation tools used to support the identification and testing of alternate route and evacuation routes and traffic control strategies.

Response:

  • CORSIM/TSIS
  • Paramics
  • VISSIM
  • AIMSUN
  • OREMS
  • TRANSIM
  • Local/state/contractor-developed modeling system (please identify):
  • Other (please specify):
  • Do not know
  1. Please describe any issues/challenges identified by your agency in using these tools to evaluate alternate routes, evacuation routes, and traffic control strategies during emergencies. (Describe)

Section 8: FHWA's Advisory Panel

  1. Are you interested in serving on FHWA's Advisory Panel to support evaluation of research findings for automated tools to enhance Emergency Transportation Operations decision-support capabilities?

Choose one: Yes, No, Do Not Know

Thank You for Your Support of FHWA's Emergency Transportation Operations Research Program!!

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