5.9.3 Procedures
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“Develop Clear Procedures for Evacuations – When New York City Transit Subway managers determine that the loss of power will be a long event, they begin the process to evacuate the subway system. In many cases, the train crews were on their own—they needed to make their own decisions for the best means of evacuation. New York City subway managers relied on their own staff and their own equipment to remove people and escorted them to the nearest stations. Some supervisors were sent to areas that were the most difficult to evacuate.
Train crews had to walk through the train to inform passengers of what was happening. They walked the passengers to the last car and instructed them on how to get off the train. Train crews also notified the control center of people with special needs. Subway crews successfully evacuated 413 trains in approximately three hours.
Staff at the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation line faced similar situations. Once managers ceased attempts to restore power, they ordered a full evacuation of the trains and stations. They had 19 stranded trains, 16 of which were in tunnel sections. In two hours, all stations were evacuated and secured.
The Port Authority Bus Terminal managers had previously made a decision that in cases of emergency the terminal would be evacuated rather than made partially operational. Once the decision was made, the terminal was evacuated in 15 minutes. Stranded commuters were ushered into the surrounding streets to wait for buses.”
Effects of Catastrophic Events on Transportation System Management and Operations: August 2003 Northeast Blackout New York City
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“Develop Procedures Detailing When to Restart Your System – Several interviewees noted that precautions had to be taken when restoring power to equipment and resuming operations.”
Effects of Catastrophic Events on Transportation System Management and Operations: August 2003 Northeast Blackout New York City
February 7, 2006
Publication #FHWA–HOP-08-015
