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21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies
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Applying Transportation Systems Management and Operations to Rural Areas

Chapter 10. Application of TSMO Strategies to Rural Special Events

What are Special Events?

Special events are occasions that bring a large number of people together. Planned special events can vary in size and can either be a one time event or occur on a cyclical basis, such as a parade or an annual bike ride. Regardless of the type or size, special events can increase the travel demand on the rural roadway network, and the accompanying transit systems and parking lots should be capable of handling the increase in traffic volume. TSMO strategies, such as ITS devices or temporary signals, shown in figure 14, can help improve the efficiency of available roadways and parking facilities to accommodate these events.

A portable temporary traffic signal on a two-lane roadway in a mountainous area. The road has been narrowed to one lane due to construction, and the traffic signals take the place of flaggers.

Figure 14. Photo. Temporary signal in Washington.
Source: FHWA.

Example Strategies

Examples of TSMO strategies used as part of special event management include:

  • Ensuring open communication among all stakeholders before, during, and after the event
  • During the event, having separate radio frequencies to ensure constant open communication among event coordinators and staff
  • Scheduling sufficient time before the event for planning and coordination among stakeholders
  • Holding after-action or post-event meetings to review lessons learned, identify shortcomings, and highlight successful practices for future events

Potential Benefits

Potential benefits of using TSMO strategies in special event management include:

  • Enhanced safety for locals and visitors.
  • Reduced travel delay by managing the increased traffic volume.
  • Increased ability of event participants to smoothly and efficiently enter and exit the event.
  • Greater use of multimodal transportation options.

Common Questions to Consider

Common questions for agencies to consider when using TSMO strategies in special event management:

  • If permanent traffic management devices are not at the event location, has temporary traffic management been considered?
  • Has the agency collaborated with event organizers, law enforcement, and local agencies prior to the event?
  • Has the agency provided advance notice about the event’s duration to local authorities, business owners, residents, and others who may be affected by the traffic influx?
  • Has the agency researched the event’s potential size and scale that should be accommodated, based on prior experience or other case studies?
  • Has the agency considered varying normal traffic control, such as changing signal timing, converting bidirectional streets to one-way travel, or having dedicated pedestrian paths?

Table 15 and table 16 present two case studies related to TSMO strategies used for special events in rural areas. One case study looks at the impacts of an event that moves along a rural route, while the other coordinates movements among multiple rural sites.

Table 15. Colorado Department of Transportation Colorado Classic® Bicycle Event Case Study.
Colorado Department of Transportation (DOT) Colorado Classic® Bicycle Event

Icon of a target.Project Description and Goals

The Colorado Classic®is an international multiday bicycle event that impacts metropolitan and rural roadways in Colorado. Due to the large scale of the bicycle event, multiple roadways are impacted by closures, delays, and detours. Event routes create issues on interstate ramps, State highways, county roads, city roads, and State Forest Service roads. The goal is to minimize the impact of the event on traffic for in-State and out-of-State visitors. The specific objectives are to ensure the safety of spectators, participants, and support crews and ease delays on the traveling public. The project focuses on interagency cooperation across multiple stakeholders, including Colorado State Patrol, Colorado DOT, local law enforcement, roadway maintenance crews, and communities.

Interagency coordination is important for this event, and significant pre-planning is conducted by all affected stakeholders before and after the event. Actions include cross-discipline communications and coordination. Maintenance and law enforcement work together to ensure roadways are properly cleared of debris and maintained to ensure attendees, spectators, media, and local residents are safe during the event. Multiple public messaging strategies communicate event information and updates, such as VMSs, the event’s website, and door-to-door contact with local residents.

Icon of scales.Benefits

Pre-event planning: Pre-event planning to inform stakeholders of procedures and road closures, and for communication coordination with traffic operations centers may be beneficial.

Traveler information: Public messaging using VMSs before and during the event informs residents, motorists, and spectators of changes. The event’s website provides real-time updates and links to maps of detours and closures.

Communication: A mutual-aid channel was used among multiple jurisdictions as a single channel to communicate rolling closures to open and close road segments at different times.

Icon of scales.Challenges

Roadway impacts: Race routes affect significant roadway distances (often more than 100 miles) including mountain passes and local-resident and emergency access; race routes close or delay popular tourist and commercial traffic routes.

Labor intensive: Prior to the event, door-to-door contact with people along the route is important to inform residents of closures and emergency contact information. This effort can be time consuming and labor intensive. Multiple law enforcement and community agencies are required to monitor and patrol the race route for unplanned incidents. Both State and local maintenance forces are required to clear the routes of debris and other hazards before and during the event.

Icon of an instructor at a chalk board.Lessons Learned

  • Pre-event planning is beneficial: Planning makes stakeholders aware of issues and helps ensure a safe event.
  • Reliable communication is key: Reliable communication during the event enables multiple agencies and event organizers to coordinate activities and incident response.
  • Need to improve traffic flow: Providing real-time route updates and coordinating information with traffic operations centers can improve traffic flow. Regularly updating the website ensures timely and accurate traveler information.

Table 16. South Dakota Department of Transportation Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally™ Case Study.
South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally™

Icon of a target.Project Description and Goals

The Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally™ is an annual event in Sturgis, South Dakota, that lasts 1 week in August. South Dakota DOT’s traffic goal is to efficiently provide a safe traveling experience for all travelers—not just for commuters or visitors. The rally traffic plan involves reducing speed limits along highways; implementing temporary signals; and using portable signal trailers, message boards, speed trailers, incident support, and the traffic operations center in Sturgis. Equipment rental costs about $60,000, and 10–12 people work full time at the traffic operations center during the day for this event.

Icon of scales.Benefits

Traffic control devices: Using a variety of traffic control methods and equipment can influence how motorists travel. This event involves speed limit changes on existing routes, temporary signals, portable message signs, and speed trailers.

Incident support: Call-out vehicles in strategic areas can reduce the time for law enforcement to reach crash locations, enabling them to focus on incident response rather than traffic control.

Traffic operations center: The traffic operations center can monitor cameras for incidents, equipment issues, and backups.

Icon of scales.Challenges

Large areas: This multi-day event causes a significant influx in travel demand; the event spans a large geographic area that involves several rural highways.

Determining location of devices: Many people request speed trailers to reduce the speed of motorists. It can be difficult to allocate limited resources.

Moving large number of participants: Large groups of motorcyclists need to be escorted by South Dakota Highway Patrol.

Icon of an instructor at a chalk board.Lessons Learned

  • Deploy immediately: Deploy call-out vehicles and update message boards based on the radio messages it receives and by watching traffic software. The traffic operations center can also preempt traffic signals based on video surveillance.
  • Spread call-out vehicles in various locations: Rather than a central location, spreading call-out vehicles can reduce the time law enforcement spends at a crash location. Reaching the scene quickly and moving the incident off the roadway can reduce travel delays.
  • Change the existing speed limit: This requires locals to change their routine behavior. It can help to have more law enforcement or speed cameras.