Managing Travel for Planned Special Events

Chapter Nine. Day-of-Event Activities
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Communication   

Structure and Protocol

In most areas of the country, interoperable communications, in which all agencies are able to communicate on a common radio frequency, is not yet a reality. That being the case, it is necessary for a communication structure and protocol to be established. As shown in Table 9-4, the structure should include the noted primary considerations.

Whatever frequency is used, it is important that all those who must use it be able to access the channel and that coverage include all areas where operations will take place.

In some cases, operating on a common frequency may require the distribution of radios to some of the stakeholders. In some instances, agencies have used cellular phones with a push-to-talk feature to provide a common channel during an event. Some agencies may already have these handsets and use them for day-to-day operations. One or more special talk channels can be established for use during the planned special event to allow only traffic management team members to be on the air. Table 9-5 lists the advantages of using this type of system.

Another important part of the protocol involves using common language on a multi-agency frequency. Many agencies use verbal shorthand in the form of codes when transmitting. These codes work well when used by those who know them, but when other stakeholders are involved, the codes can be a source of confusion and miscommunication. An increasing number of agencies are now using clear language protocols on their radio frequencies, and these standards should be followed if multiple agencies have to communicate with one another. Clear language simply says that commonly understood words and phrases are used instead of codes. For instance, instead of calling an accident a Signal 11, the crash should be called an accident on the radio.

Interagency Communication

Since multiple stakeholders are involved, it is critical that they be able to communicate with one another on the day-of-event:

• The most basic, and least desirable, form of interagency communication involves messages being relayed indirectly from one agency to another. An example could include a police officer in the field wishing to coordinate a road closure with the DOT. The officer radios the information to a dispatcher who, in turn, calls the dispatcher at the DOT. The DOT dispatcher then radios the crew in the field. Coordination might take several messages being sent back and forth through this chain. This form of communication delays the sharing of information and is subject to miscommunication.
• As noted in the previous section, operating on a common channel with clear language greatly improves interagency communication. Depending upon the size of the planned special event, more than one channel may be used. For example, one channel could be deemed as the primary channel, which is used by all participants for the sharing of critical information. Another channel may be dedicated to transportation concerns.

To minimize confusion and extraneous information being shared among agencies, the question of who will use which frequencies should be decided during the planning process. Stakeholders should understand: (1) how they can reach other traffic management team members during the event, (2) which channels they will be found on, and (3) what information should be shared.

Since many of the stakeholders comprising the traffic management team may not be accustomed to interagency coordination, they should understand the importance of sharing information with their interagency partners. Information not shared with others who are affected could lead to difficulties managing traffic and cause mistrust among participating stakeholders.

Equipment

The participating agencies may normally operate on a wide variety of systems. VHF, UHF, and 800 MHz trunked systems are among those in common use, and agencies cannot normally communicate from one system to another. Before the right equipment can be identified, it is important for the stakeholders to understand what they want the communications system to do. Is it simply a means to share information, or does real-time coordination have to take place? Who has to operate on the channel? Where will they be located? Once these questions are answered, it becomes possible to identify the appropriate equipment to use for the event.

Table 9-6 lists several levels of communication that must also be studied. First, there is communication within the venue. In this relatively small area, a radio system that provides coverage just in the area of the venue may be sufficient. Hand-held units may be given to personnel who have to coordinate at the site. Communications may take place between individuals or between field staff and the command post.

Another level of communication would be between the command post and the TMCs. Here it may be more difficult to identify the best equipment to use. The TMCs may be geographically distant from each other and the command post. Because the centers are inside buildings, and often on lower floors, radios without an external antenna may not be able to reach all the participating stakeholders. In order to depend upon these communication channels, it is important that they be tested before the event. If no radio communication is practical, a hardwire connection may be needed. In some TMCs and command centers, phone jacks are installed to allow dedicated phones to be deployed for events.

A trunked radio system provides what is needed for interagency communication during a planned special event. Other agencies, which also operate on a trunked system, may be able to modify their units to operate on a common frequency. A trunked system also allows a dedicated channel to be set aside for the event. Those agencies without the proper equipment can be loaned radios, which allow them to operate on the common channel.

Interacting with the Media

The media is an important part of the planned special event. If the event involves a lot of people, it also is a news story and the media will want to cover it like any other story. The media can also be an important part of traffic management plan implementation. Table 9-7 indicates how the media can be used to communicate with event patrons and other transportation system users.

Communication with the media should start before the event. If there is pre-event advice that stakeholders wish to disseminate, then the media can be a conduit to the public.

During the event, the media can be used to provide real-time updates about transportation system delays and blockages. Again, advice on how to avoid the delays can be provided.

Most agencies already have some forms of communication in place with the media. However, these may not be the best way to communicate during the planned special event. For example, many agencies work with traffic reporting services during periods of recurring congestion. The planned special event may be taking place on a weekend or holiday when the traffic reporting service is not in service. Alternate means to get real-time information to broadcasters may be needed.

The media may also find that the usual means they use to get traffic information are unavailable during the planned special event. Due to security concerns, airspace near the site may be off limits. This makes the media more dependent upon the agencies to provide them with updates.

Unless a proactive decision is made otherwise, most agencies would not want the media to call the command post for updates. Calls to and from the TMC may be the best way to get information to the media. Wherever the media are directed to call, it is important that the person handling those calls has the most up-to-date, accurate information available. For the media to trust this source, they must believe that this is the best place to get information. Since most media want to verify information on their own, agencies should be prepared for the media to seek out other sources. The media may also acquire information via cell phones from event patrons driving to the planned special event, and the media will want to verify the information the public provides with the transportation agencies. If trust is lost between the media and the agencies, the agencies may lose control of the flow of information.

Traveler Information Dissemination

Traveler information will have two important audiences during the event: (1) those who plan to attend and (2) those who want to avoid the delays the event may cause. In both cases, traveler information tools can be used to effectively disseminate information.

Table 9-8 presents various pre-trip and en-route traveler information dissemination methods.

The dissemination of traveler information begins before the event with warnings of what may occur, preferred routes to the site and around it, and where drivers can get updates on the day-of-event. Different tools lend themselves to particular uses. Newspapers and other printed material, for example, lend themselves to graphic information such as maps. The Internet represents a powerful medium for disseminating pre-trip travel information to event patrons and other transportation system users. Figure 9-4 shows a Seattle Department of Transportation web page detailing specific planned special event traffic impacts and multi-modal travel options.

Figure 9-4. Internet Traveler Information (Graphic courtesy of the Seattle DOT.) D

Changeable message signs function best to raise awareness of a potential problem while road users are en-route, and highway advisory radio is somewhere in the middle, being able to provide more detail than signs, but less than printed material. The planned special event is likely to require the deployment of portable changeable message signs because a greater concentration of information is needed and because the event may be taking place in a location where permanent devices are not in place. Portable highway advisory radio stations may also be considered to reach motorists.

In planning for the event, stakeholders must consider: (1) which devices will be used, (2) approved messages that can be displayed, and (3) how to disseminate the information to event patrons and other transportation system users.

The growth of 511 services represents another important avenue to disseminate information. As 511 becomes more well known and more widespread, travelers are more likely to think about dialing 511 before they go or while they are en-route to get the latest information. Even where 511 is not yet in use, other recorded telephone services can be used.

No one system will reach all of the people that stakeholders wish to alert. In fact, even if all systems are used, operators will not reach every transportation system user. But, by using a variety of tools, the traffic management team will be able to reach a critical mass of people so that delays will be minimized and the customer requirements of all users satisfied.

On the day-of-event, it must be clear who will update traveler information devices and how timely and accurate information will get to the officials responsible for providing the updates. These individuals must be part of the communication chain. Again, assigning a dedicated person to handle the updates would be ideal. Conflicting priorities could result in out-of-date information being disseminated if one person is asked to handle too many tasks.

Traffic Monitoring   

Traffic monitoring represents an important day-of-event activity, serving to provide traffic and incident management support in addition to performance evaluation data. Timely deployment of contingency plans developed during the event operations planning phase depends on the accurate collection and communication of real-time traffic data between traffic management team members. This section describes how traffic monitoring activities support real-time traffic management and control decisions during the day-of-event.

Purpose

Agencies responsible for managing planned special events require numerous types of information on the current conditions of the system to support delivery of effective service for the planned special event. This required information varies widely depending on: (1) the service being provided, (2) how often it needs to be collected, and (3) how accurate it needs to be (e.g., for traffic control and traveler information purposes, simply knowing whether pavement is wet/icy or not may suffice; for purposes of managing snow and ice control activities, more detailed information is required).

Information is crucial for successful operations of the transportation network. As noted in an FHWA TEA-21 reauthorization proposal: "Operating the highway system to achieve security, safety, and reliability objectives requires an ability to know what is happening on the system. Real-time information on highway system performance and weather conditions / events is vital to assist highway professionals in managing the available capacity, responding to disruptions to capacity (including emergencies, evacuations, and security threats), and to system users in planning the timing, mode, and route for their trips." In essence, the many benefits of the various planned special event management strategies cannot be fully realized unless practitioners are aware of the real time conditions on the highway network.

Traffic Management Support

In a traffic management system, the traffic monitoring component, or surveillance component, is the process in which data is collected in the field. This data is used to supply information about conditions in the field to other system components including personnel located in the field on the day-of-event. Surveillance provides the information needed to perform the functions identified in Table 9-9.

Surveillance is not limited to collecting and monitoring traffic condition information alone, nor in some instances are they automated in nature. Surveillance is applied to weather and pavement conditions to provide operators and maintenance staff more information to support their traffic and transit management responsibilities. These systems also are being used to manage snow removal, icy roadway treatment, to detect limited sight distance problems caused by fog or smoke, and to detect high water levels along roadways. While much traffic surveillance (detection) is accomplished via automated means, manual detection, most notably via in-field personnel on cell phones or two-way radios and cell-phone calls from motorists, is a viable and reliable strategy for planned special event management. In many instances of planned special event management, the surveillance must be microscopic rather than macroscopic, i.e., a particular point or location must be monitored rather than an area or region, and this strategy of manual detection is the most cost-effective and efficient.

Various technologies that exist for collecting this information are described in Table 9-10.

Detection and surveillance, whether highly technical and automated or simple and manual, is the cornerstone of traffic monitoring. Traffic management strategies and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies can assist in reducing congestion, improving safety, and enhancing mobility. However, without the capability to know the current operating conditions, coupled with the cooperation and coordination among personnel in the responsible agencies, the potential benefits of these strategies and technology systems may not be realized. To that end, it is not a simple matter to quantify benefits from detection and surveillance alone, but instead to understand the benefits realized from traffic management strategies and ITS technologies that rely on detection and surveillance. Some benefits of particular importance are noted in Table 9-11.

The information collected through the monitoring effort is valuable for post-event activities. After the event, the information gathered and/or observed can be used as part of the program or event evaluation. The data collected provides: (1) input into estimating the benefits of the traffic management plan and operation and (2) input into planning for future planned special events. An example of some statistics or measures that can be obtained from traffic monitoring on the day-of-event, and can commonly be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the event traffic management plan and operation includes:

• Reduction in delay
• Change in mode
• Increase in transit ridership
• Reduction of travel time
• Increase in travel speed
• Reduction in loaded cycle lengths at signalized intersections

In summary, most of the benefits realized during planned special events results in some way from the real-time information provided by traffic monitoring.

Performance Evaluation Data

Performance measures provide the basis for identifying the location and severity of problems (such as congestion and delay), and for evaluating the effectiveness of the implemented planned special event management strategies. Table 9-12 indicates uses of this monitoring information. In essence, performance measures are used to measure how the transportation system, and therefore the traffic management plan, performs with respect to the adopted goals and objectives, both for ongoing management and operations of the special event and the evaluation of future options.

Most measures for planned special event management are congestion-based and are measures that can be quickly and efficiently assessed. Table 9-13 indicates key performance evaluation measures. Certainly other non-transportation measures are important to successful planned special event management; however, these are neither accurate nor timely enough to allow for day-of-event management.

Table 9-14 lists some of the reasons that agencies have instituted performance measures and the associated monitoring and evaluation processes.

In managing travel for planned special events, a direct relationship exists between the performance measures selected and the data needed in the performance measurement process. The data and information used in decision-making must be of high quality because the remedies have to be performed immediately. They must originate from reliable, consistent sources and meet the needs of the decision makers. Moreover, the decision makers must have confidence in the information, or it will not be used.

The most common data problems are acquiring the required information in the exact form desired, and in ascertaining the quality of the data. The "garbage in, garbage out" concept applies to the data used in a performance measurement system. If the data gathered are highly uncertain, then the conclusions drawn by converting those data into performance measures also will be highly uncertain and will have reduced value to interested stakeholders. For this reason, great care needs to be taken in data collection. In reality, however, some things either cannot be measured accurately or cannot be measured accurately at an acceptable cost and in an acceptable timeframe. Transportation agencies need to consider the uncertainty introduced by inaccurate data when taking action based on their system of performance measures, especially in planned special event management, where the modifications have immediate, and possibly disastrous, results.