managing travel for planned special events - FHWA Operations ...

• What type and quantity of skilled personnelare needed?• Where should personnel be deployed?• What responsibilities will individual personnelhave?Managing TrafficWhile the traffic management plan and supportingimplementation plan notes howstakeholders expect to manage traffic, theactual management of traffic on the day-ofeventmay differ from what the plan callsfor. Traffic incidents, changing weatherconditions, and other unexpected events canall cause the traffic management plan to bemodestly modified or completely changed.After safety, successfully managing trafficrepresents the reason why stakeholders developedthe traffic management plan in thefirst place and that goal must remain paramount.As part of the traffic management plan, variousscenarios can be addressed from bestcase to worst case, together with likelyvariations. Having different scenarios andresponse plans specified in the traffic managementplan will help managers morequickly respond to changes. Again, notevery variation can be noted, but experiencedstaff can modify what the traffic managementplan calls for.Evaluation ActivitiesAlthough many hours have been spent creatingthe traffic management plan, the planshould remain flexible with the ability tomodify and enhance it with necessarychanges based on real-time traffic conditions.Updates can continue through thecourse of the planned special event, accountingfor new situations and unexpectedevents. Evaluation of the plan is an ongoingactivity during the event, and participantsshould contribute their insights as they witnessthe event unfolding. The traffic managementteam must be open to modificationsof what had been agreed to during the eventoperations planning and implementation activitiesphases.Table 3-38 indicates key traffic managementplan evaluation activities on the day-ofevent.Table 3-38Traffic Management Plan EvaluationActivitiesACTION• Establish briefing schedule and location(e.g., command post).• Identify ranking representative of each stakeholderagency participating in briefings.• Conduct day-of-event briefing.o Situation statuso Objectives and prioritieso Current organizationo Personnel and equipment resource assignmentso Communicationso Concerns and related issueso Recommended changes• Achieve consensus on recommendedchanges.CommunicationIn most areas of the country, interoperablecommunications, in which all agencies areable to communicate on a common radiofrequency, is not yet a reality. That beingthe case, it is necessary for a communicationstructure and protocol to be established. Asshown in Table 3-39, the structure shouldinclude the noted primary considerations.Whatever frequency is used, it is importantthat all those who must use it be able to accessthe channel and that coverage includeall areas where operations will take place.3EVENT PROFILE POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES DAY-OF-EVENT ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PLANNINGOVERVIEW3-53