Applying Transportation Systems Management and Operations to Rural Areas
Chapter 7. Application of TSMO Strategies to Rural Traffic Incident Management
What Is Traffic Incident Management?
Based on the Traffic Incident Management Handbook, incident management involves the "systematic, planned, and coordinated use of human, institutional, mechanical, technical resources to reduce the duration and impact of incidents, and improve safety of motorists, crash victims, and incident responders."31
TIM in rural areas presents challenges, such as limited sight distance due to curves and hills, constrained geography caused by ditches adjacent to the roadway, and limited areas to park response vehicles and perform work (see figure 8). Other factors for consideration include a minimum number of alternate routes; extended response times to arrive on scene at rural events; and delays in getting specialized equipment such as heavy wreckers, cranes, and rotators on site. The FHWA has a developed a CMF and several case studies specifically for TIM.32
Figure 8. Photo. Emergency services in Washington State.
Source: FHWA.
One common response in rural communities is related to crashes involving livestock, slow-moving agricultural vehicles, and horse-drawn carriages prevalent in Amish and Mennonite communities. These events require a specialized response, particularly crashes involving livestock. Standard operating procedures must incorporate these considerations.
Rural TIM also incorporates a large number of roads controlled by counties or local jurisdictions. State DOTs are not the owners or maintainers of these roadways. However, many of the jurisdictions have developed mutual aid with State DOTs for assistance.
Vast rural areas do not have cellular phone or radio communication coverage for responders. Some counties have as much as a 60–percent dead-air area. These counties have developed alternative ways to get messages relayed to TMCs and 9–1–1 dispatch centers. One such method is to partner with commercial truckers to use their radios to relay a message down the line.
Rural services for fire, emergency medical services, and rescue is provided mostly by volunteer agencies. Response times can be as long as 30–60 minutes in many of these areas. Rural areas, especially non-State roads, are often served by small local law enforcement agencies. In some instances, the State patrol serving rural roads may only have one or two units patrolling a vast area. Response times can be very long. Towing agency responders can also have a long response time. Clever and creative contract incentives that encourage an enhanced towing agency response are in place in some jurisdictions.
Example Strategies
Examples of TSMO strategies used as part of traffic incident management include:
- Quick clearance policies and procedures to promptly remove vehicles.
- TIM programs to provide courtesy patrols or service patrols.
Potential Benefits
Potential benefits of using TSMO strategies in traffic incident management include:
- Reduced duration and impacts of traffic incidents.
- Improved safety of motorists, crash victims, and emergency responders.
- Improved and more efficient allocation and deployment of limited equipment and resources.
- Minimized delays and road closures.
Common Questions for Agencies to Consider
Common questions to consider when using TSMO strategies in traffic incident management:
- How many incident response teams and law enforcement responders are available?
- Do maintenance crews have additional support when they are often disrupted with calls to assist incidents in rural areas?
- Is there ongoing funding to support TIM? Unlike capital construction projects, dedicated incident response requires ongoing commitment to funding.
Table 9 and table 10 provide two case studies related to TIM strategies in rural areas. One case study institutes a rural-focused incident response program, and the other highlights the development of rural incident management plans.
Table 9. Georgia Department of Transportation Coordinated Highway Assistance and Maintenance Program Case Study.
| Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT) Coordinated Highway Assistance and Maintenance Program (CHAMP). |
 Project Description and Goals
Figure 9. Photo. Coordinated Highway Assistance and Maintenance Program vehicle.
Source: Georgia DOT.
CHAMP started in November 2016 as a Statewide roadway assistance and maintenance patrol. CHAMP evolved from the original Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) program that provided dedicated incident responders in urban areas.
The difference with this program is the addition of maintenance activities and use of contracted personnel. CHAMP is a free service to the public that patrols 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year. CHAMP covers 26 routes and 1,062 interstate miles. The goal of CHAMP is to improve motorist safety and support service patrols by assisting with incident management and maintenance crews. In each Georgia district, there is a specific CHAMP dispatcher who can help coordinate efforts in rural areas.
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 Benefits
Interstate assistance: CHAMP vehicles, as seen in figure 9, provide interstate assistance (tire change and fuel, battery, or tow coordination) to motorists and TIM assistance (lane clearance, temporary traffic control, 5-1-1 coordination, and on-call and after-hours response when needed).
Maintenance activities: CHAMP helps rural areas with activities such as maintaining cable posts, removing debris, removing abandoned vehicles, assisting with hurricane evacuation and snow/ice coordination, delineating potholes, clearing drainage, and removing vegetation on the roadway.
TIM training: CHAMP provides rural Georgia TIM training and established a TIM team to provide more educational outreach.
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Challenges
Initiating Georgia DOT approval: One of the main challenges was obtaining support for CHAMP within GDOT. Once internal staff understood its benefits, CHAMP became more widely used amongst district staff.
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 Lessons Learned
- Conduct regular meetings with stakeholders: CHAMP members meet with more than 20 rural county TIM teams every 3–4 months to discuss new strategies and training opportunities.
- Develop partnerships: Meeting other stakeholders in person greatly improves communication and collaboration among rural communities and local agencies. Also, having regular patrols in the field provides the opportunity to meet local contacts and find local TIM champions.
- Proactively maintain roads: Conducting routine maintenance on rural roads can keep the roadway clean and safe. If there is a large storm or risk of flooding, CHAMP can go into the field and clear drains and roads from debris to reduce the risk of water on the road.
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Table 10. Texas Department of Transportation Rural Incident Management Plans Case Study.
| Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Rural Incident Management Plans |
Project Description and Goals
TxDOT has initiated a broad range of TSMO strategies to advance rural TIM. One of the initiatives is to assist rural districts, such as the El Paso District and Odessa District, to develop rural incident management plans. The purpose of rural incident management plans is to pre-define alternate routes for major corridors, as well as the role of first responder agencies in the incident. Other goals of the rural incident management plans are to include contact information for key stakeholder agencies for quicker coordination and to publish the document online to improve accessibility.
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Benefits
Relationship building: Agency coordination and communication are important for a successful TIM program. External stakeholder agencies that should be involved need to be identified, and their roles and responsibilities understood. TIM training offers the opportunity to invite and meet external stakeholders, such as 9-1-1 call center staff, law enforcement, emergency responders, and maintenance crews.
After-action reviews: This is a tool that can be used to improve incident detection verification, response, clearance, and recovery.
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Challenges
Meeting in person: Meeting local agencies and stakeholders in person is a more efficient and more effective way to implement rural incident management plans and formalize interagency coordination. However, it can be difficult to engage stakeholders in person since TxDOT staff have to travel long distances to reach stakeholders in geographically dispersed rural areas.
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Lessons Learned
- Conduct regular training meetings: Provide recurring interagency TIM training for rural first responders and maintenance staff. Develop a TIM training facility that includes a variety of road types (interstates, on-ramps/off-ramps, farm to market, and ranch to market). Ensure the training content is relevant and relatable to the audience.
- Understand current legislation and policies: Understand applicability of quick clearance laws (rapidly removing temporary obstructions on property). In Texas, there are three general law types: move over, driver removal, and authority removal.
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