Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction

The objective of this report is to provide an overview regarding the current capabilities of freeway Traffic Management Centers (TMCs) to perform functions required to support emergency transportation operations. The primary focus of this report is on the needs and activities of freeway transportation personnel to manage and track information central to their operations under a range of emergency conditions.

While the central focus of this report is on freeway transportation managers, emergency preparedness and response for the transportation system necessarily involves the activities of others as well, including arterial transportation managers, public transportation managers, public safety personnel (law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services), highway maintenance personnel, and emergency management personnel. The integration of the activities and capabilities of these organizations into the larger response effort is critical to its ultimate success.

As used in this report, the term "emergency" refers to events which would require activation of the state Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and may include:

  • natural disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, winter storms, etc.);
  • technological and man-made disasters (hazardous materials incidents, nuclear power plant accidents); and
  • national security events such as terrorism (nuclear, chemical, biological, and radiological weapons attacks and more traditional acts involving explosives and armed assaults).

Emergency Transportation Operations or ETO refers to the activities performed by the transportation system to manage:

  • detection, verification and monitoring of emergency conditions and status;
  • damage and capacity assessments performed for the transportation system;
  • warning and public information/traveler alert requirements;
  • traffic control strategies to support emergency response and evacuation and to divert or detour traffic from an affected area;
  • public safety lifeline routes and transportation needs;
  • unexpected capacity reductions on detours and evacuation routes;
  • event-specific operational strategies; and
  • traffic demand stabilization; including traffic dissipation, evacuation return, and longer-term re-routing and commercial mode shifts.

ETO also includes those activities necessary to coordinate with local, state and federal authorities regarding the closure, re-opening, operation and configuration of the transportation system under emergency conditions.

This report is intended to answer a series of questions which benchmark the current practices of TMCs during emergency events and identify opportunities for improvement. These questions include the following:

  • What resources are available and accessible to TMC personnel to support their activities to manage freeway operations under emergency conditions?
  • What activities are typically performed by TMC personnel to manage the transportation impacts of emergency events?
  • How do TMC personnel coordinate their response activities with other transportation agencies affected by the emergency?
  • How do TMC personnel coordinate their response activities with public safety and emergency management personnel and agencies?
  • What level of emergency planning and pre-event preparedness has been established by TMC agencies and their local jurisdictions?

1.1 Report Methodology

This report followed a specific methodology for the collection and analysis of required information:

  • The research team coordinated with the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Deployment Tracking Program to obtain and analyze data relevant to the capabilities of freeway management agencies to support incident management and emergency response functions. In 2002, 121 regional transportation agencies were surveyed by the FHWA using its Freeway Management ITS Deployment Tracking Questionnaire.
  • After a careful review of the ITS Deployment Tracking Survey results, the research team developed and administered an Information Request, to be completed by TMC personnel who support emergency operations in their regional areas.
  • The Information Request focused on emergency events, and asked questions to document the flow of information between and among:
    • freeway transportation managers and their counterparts in arterial management agencies, public transportation agencies, state and local Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and local Departments of Public Works (DPWs);
    • local and state field responders using the Incident Command System (ICS) and unified command; and
    • policy makers located at local, regional and state EOCs.
  • Special emphasis was placed on identifying the protocols for information exchange used by TMC personnel, including which agency initiates the information exchange (TMC, law enforcement, state DOT), the method used to exchange the information (i.e., telephone, email, automated data exchange, etc.), and the format of the information exchange (voice, data, video, etc.).
  • Information was also collected to identify existing automated systems in place at TMCs to support information management during emergencies.
  • The Information Request distinguished between TMCs with field response capabilities (service patrols, incident response teams, mobile assistance patrols) and those TMCs without such capabilities.
  • Integration of jurisdiction-wide activities for emergency planning and response which affect transportation was also assessed, including the development of evacuation and alternate routes; the ability to assess roadway characteristics and available lifeline routes for emergency responders; and the ability to identify, dispatch and track transportation resources to support emergency response.

1.2 Report Organization

Results of information collection and analysis are organized in the following chapters:

  • Chapter 2: TMC Capabilities (2002 ITS Deployment Tracking Survey)
  • Chapter 3: Results from TMC Rapid Response Information Request
  • Chapter 4: Major Findings and Conclusions

Appendices provide supporting project information, including the following:

  • Appendix A: Rapid Response Information Request
  • Appendix B: Traffic Operations Center Contacts
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