a collage of eight photos showing a stakeholder meeting, people boarding a bus, a changeable message sign displaying the message race traffic, cars traversing a roadway where barricades delineate travel lanes, a closed-circuit television camera, a crowd of people standing near a train and traversing a pedestrian overpass, two implementation plans, and three traffic management team personnel gathered around a laptop computer

Managing Travel for Planned Special Events

Appendix A. Sample Special Event Permit Regulations, Applications, and Agreements

San Diego, CA: Special Event Regulations on Mitigating Public Impacts

Mitigation of Impact

As an event organizer, you are required to develop mitigating measures to accommodate the negative impact your event may have on entities that may be affected by your activities. Most neighborhoods and business districts are represented by a number of community groups that are officially recognized by the City of San Diego. These groups include, Community Planning Groups, Town Councils, Business Improvement Districts, and Recreation Councils. If your event venue is in an area that is governed by one or more of these groups, you must present your event concept to these organizations for their support or endorsement. You must also meet with the residents, businesses, places of worship and schools that may be impacted by the noise and street closures related to your event.

The City of San Diego requires that notices be mailed or hand delivered two weeks prior to your event to all entities impacted by event activities. Information in this notice should include, but not be limited to, the date(s), day(s), time(s), location(s) and types of activities taking place during your event. The notice must also give detour or alternate route information if regular access is affected or if transportation systems are impacted. The notice also must include a telephone number where members of the public can contact your organization if they have concerns or issues that need to be addressed.

The City of San Diego will also require you to provide advisory signs placed a minimum of two weeks prior to your event if the event impacts a major use roadway. Advisory signs are intended to provide advanced notice to the regular users of a roadway of the scheduled closure.

Washington State DOT: State Highway Use During Street Use Events

Chapter 7: Special Highway Use

7.1 Bicycling, Running, Walking, Festival, and Parade Events

RCW 46.61 prescribes the rights and duties for bicycle and pedestrian travel an highways, county roads, and city streets, With regard to bicycle or pedestrian events, traffic control considerations are essential to minimize potential traffic hazards.

Requests to use state highways for bicycle, running, and walking related events require written approval from the district to the event sponsor for events occurring within a district. Headquarters coordinates the required activities for multi-district events, responding to the involved districts and the State Patrol. Approvals may be granted after consideration and documentation of the following guidelines:

  1. Event sponsors should be encouraged to use county roads or city streets if at all possible.
  2. Where use of a highway without access control is necessary, there should be a detour route available. The detour should be satisfactory for through traffic and appropriately signed by the local jurisdiction(s). Request for state highway use within incorporated areas should receive concurrence from the affected city or town.
  3. Sponsor developed traffic control plans must adequately and safely accommodate anticipated traffic conditions. Such plans must be approved by the district traffic engineer. All traffic control devices shall conform to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
  4. The organizers, or sponsors, will prepay all extraordinary costs for labor and materials provided by the Department of Transportation.
  5. The party requesting the state highway use shall notify, at least 48 hours (preferably seven days) in advance of the event, all local fire, ambulance, transit, law enforcement departments, and other service oriented activities that could be affected by the event.
  6. The department must be included as an additional insured when highway authorities are not specifically named within event insurance policies.

Department regulations and policies do not allow bicycling, running, or walking related events on limited access highways except when prior approval is granted at locations where no alternate route exists. On an event basis, written approval by the State Operations and Maintenance Engineer is required.

Where a limited access highway has been approved for use, sufficient lane(s) are to be left open in each direction to allow expected volumes of traffic to operate without serious congestion. Appropriate traffic control plans and devices are to be used to enhance safety and to warn event participants and vehicle drivers of each others presence.

Public information efforts should be commensurate with the anticipated traffic impacts. The news media should be encouraged to publicize the event and possible congestion. This can be accomplished by imposing special requirements for public information on the sponsor, by news releases or media contacts by WSDOT personnel, or a combination.

Provide informational copies of correspondence related to such events to the State Traffic Engineer. When these events may affect ferry operations, contact the Marine Transportation Division.

Virginia Beach, VA: Permit Application

sample Virginia Beach outdoor event and entertainment application, page 1

sample Virginia Beach outdoor event and entertainment application, page 2

sample Virginia Beach outdoor event and entertainment application, page 3

sample Virginia Beach outdoor event and entertainment application, page 4

Evanston, IL: Special Event Hold Harmless Agreement

Hold Harmless/Indemnification Agreement

(Name of Applicant) has requested permission to (Event Description) in the City of Evanston. For consideration of such permission, (Name of Applicant) hereby fully releases and discharges the City of Evanston, its officers, agents and employees from any and all claims from injuries, including death, damages or loss, which may arise or which any be alleged to have arisen out of, or in connection with the event.

(Name of Applicant) further agrees to indemnify and hold harmless and defend the City of Evanston, its officers, agents and employees from any and all claims resulting from injuries, including death, damages or losses, including, but not limited to the general public, which may arise or which may be alleged to have arisen out of, or in connection with this event.

In addition, (Name of Applicant) shall furnish two copies of certificates of insurance with the City of Evanston named as an additional insured in the amount of $1,000,000 unless a greater amount is warranted.

(Applicant's Company Name)

(Applicant's Name)

(Applicant's Title)

(Applicant's Signature)

Applicant's Statement of Agreement:

I hereby affirm that the above information is true and correct in describing the intent of this application.

I, (Name of Applicant), the undersigned, agree to abide by the provisions in this application and the instructions attached hereto.

(Signature of Applicant) (Date)

Hot Springs, AR: Street Use Event Checklist

Special Requirements for Use of Whittington Avenue: Checklist

The following checklist applies to any special event permit issued for the use of Whittington Avenue from its intersection with Ozark and Water Streets west to Woodfin Street. A complete description of these requirements is attached to Ordinance Nos. 4458 and 4556. Event Sponsor must comply with the requirements as stated in Ordinance Nos. 4458 and 4556 and their attachments. In this regard, the Sponsor must:

blank checkbox Provide written notification to area residents as illustrated in Exhibit 1 to Ordinance No. 4458 not less than 3 nor more than 10 days prior to the event.
blank checkbox Provide "escort passes" for residents on the boulevard section of Whittington and to the residents of Quartz Street prior to event.
blank checkbox Arrange with a local ambulance service for the provision of an ambulance to be stationed in the Whittington area during the event.
blank checkbox Contact the City's Engineering Office (Municipal Building, 133 Convention Blvd., 321-6860) and arrange for pickup of required signs. (A refundable deposit of $20.00 per sign must be paid at the time the Sponsor picks up the signs.)
blank checkbox Install temporary signs at: (1) Park Ave. & Gulpha Gorge Rd., (2) Blacksnake Road at Bull Bayou, (3) Prospect at West Mountain Drive, and (4) east and west ends of the Whittington boulevard section.
blank checkbox Install detour signs as indicated by Exhibit 3 to Ordinance No. 4458.
blank checkbox Install barricades at the intersection of Whittington and Woodfin as indicated by Exhibit 3 of Ordinance No. 4458.
blank checkbox Provide radio equipped marshals at all intersections along Whittington (12 minimum).
blank checkbox Arrange to reopen Whittington between events, if applicable.
blank checkbox Ensure that one lane of traffic on Whittington Avenue remains open at all times in the designated event area (from Ozark and Water Streets west to Woodfin).
blank checkbox Any special event expected to last for a duration of two hours or more shall require the sponsor to place on each end of Whittington Park one male and one female port-a-potty.
blank checkbox Remove and return all city owned signs to the City's Engineering Office (Municipal Building, 133 Convention Blvd.) within two days after the event.
blank checkbox Event sponsors are responsible for providing all necessary barricades and traffic cones. (Available from rental and/or construction companies.)

Montgomery County, MD: Special Event Traffic Control Regulations

Public Right-of-Way Permit Special Requirements, Pages 1 and 2:
(check all applicable boxes)

Checkbox 1. Signs notifying the public must be posted a minimum of one week prior to the event on the right side of all effected roadways where they intersect with major roadways. (see illustration "A" for sign details).

When applicable, "Road Closed" signs must be posted the day of the closure at the last major intersection where motorists can detour to avoid the closure (see illustration "D") and at the actual point of the closure (see illustration "C").

Lettering and symbols on the above described signs must be legible for passing motorists to easily see and comprehend.

Checkbox 2. Temporary parking restriction signs must be posted 72 hours in advance and remain posted for the duration of the event at locations where parked vehicles would conflict with the event.

See illustration "B" for the required sign message and dimensions. Lettering and symbols must be legible enough to be easily seen and comprehended.

Checkbox 3. Traffic drums or cones (see illustration "E" and "F") must be used at all points of closure— starting areas, the crossing of intersections, locations where the route changes directions, and all driveways (except single family homes).

Checkbox 4. For the closure of a lane or a portion of a lane along a segment of roadway, the permittee must provide 28" high traffic cones or traffic drums placed no further than 40' apart to separate and define the portion of the roadway to be used for vehicle travel from that reserved for the event.

Checkbox 5. Traffic drums or cones must be in place just prior to the times allocated for the event (as specified herein) and removed as soon as the last participant clears each section of the event route (no later than the ending time as stated on the permit).

Checkbox 6. For races or moving events, a "Lead" and "Chase" vehicles must be used in front and behind to insure the safety of all participants during the event.

Checkbox 7. Residents and/or businesses of all properties fronting the subject road sections and/or those whose access is directly impacted by the event must be notified in writing by the permittee a minimum of 72 hours prior to the event.

Checkbox 8. Vehicle access to and from properties abutting and/or directly affected by the event must be permitted at all times: Emergency Vehicles Shall Be Permitted Through Passage at All Times.

Checkbox 9. Permittee must secure police assistance at locations that require complete closure of the roadway and at all signalized and/or major intersections where the participants may be crossing without regard to existing traffic control devices.

Checkbox 10. Competent adult monitors must be stationed at all other intersecting roadways and/or driveways (except those of signal family homes) not controlled by police.

Checkbox 11. Competent adult monitors must have copies of "Detour Maps" to inform passing motorist of alternate routes around the event.

Checkbox 12. If applicable, permittee must secure the necessary permits from Maryland State Highway Administration and/or other agencies or municipalities for the temporary use of their right-of-way.

Checkbox 13. The "Double Yellow Center Line" rule shall be enforced at all times during the race. This rule also applies to any practice runs the participants partake in prior to the race.

"The Double Yellow Center Line Rule prohibits any participant from crossing the center line of any roadway during practice or the actual race with the exception of the start of the race and the sprint to the finish line at the end of the race".

Checkbox 14. A "Rolling Road Block" type of closure shall be used during the event. At no time will any county roadways be closed to motorists during the event, except during the start of the race and the finish of the race.

Checkbox 15. "Practice Runs" are allowed only on the roadways as stated in the permit and must be held on the day of the event and only during the times as stated in the permit.

Approved: (Traffic Control and Lighting Engineering) Date: (Date Approved)

public right-of-way permit special requirements, page 3 D

Marco Island, FL: Special Event Directional Sign Regulations

Directional Signs in Row:

Directional signs located within the right-of-way must be a minimum of 18" x 24" and a maximum of 24" x 32". It is recommended that the signs be blue with white lettering. The signs shall be professional in appearance and shall include the special event permit number (can be placed on back of sign). Signs may not be erected prior to 7 days before the scheduled event and must be removed with 24 hours of the completion of the event. Signs may not be located within medians, attached to traffic control signs or other authorized highway signs. Signs shall be located a minimum distance of 30 feet from street intersection and a minimum distance of 6 feet from the edge of pavement or 3 feet from the back of a curb. The bottom of all signs shall be a minimum of 12 inches above existing ground and the top of the sign shall not exceed a distance of 5 feet above the existing ground.

Walworth County, WI: County Code Section 10-28, Recovery of Expenses Incurred for Providing Extraordinary Governmental Services

Extraordinary services means reasonable and necessary services provided by the County above and beyond its normal capabilities and requirements of providing for public health and safety that cause a measurable burden upon the County. Such services shall include extra police protection, traffic control or refuse collections and the administration of this Ordinance.

Sec. 10-28. Recovery of expenses incurred for providing extraordinary governmental services.

  1. As a condition of any license granted hereunder, the licensee shall be responsible for reimbursing the County for the cost of providing extraordinary governmental services required as a result of the licensed event as provided in this section.
  2. There shall be a charge for each ticket sold, as shall be determined, from time to time, by the Executive Committee, which charge shall be collected by the licensee and forwarded to the County within 30 days after each event. The licensee shall provide the County with complete ticket manifests for each event, and grant to the county the right to audit attendance figures for each event within one (1) year following the date of the event.