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

signing to indicate whether a lane isopen (green arrow pointing down over alane), closed (red “X” over a lane), or isclosed ahead (a diagonally cocked colorarrow over the lane). (7)• Incident management represents anoperational approach used on both freewaysand arterials that employs all of theavailable resources, including humanand technological, to identify, manage,and clear incidents from a freeway in aquick and effective manner. In thetransportation management center, operatorsutilize networks of closed-circuittelevision cameras, vehicle detectionsensors, incoming 911 or 511 reports,incoming media reports, and mobile reports(from service patrols, police, maintenancepersonnel, and motorists) tomonitor, verify, and determine the scopeof incidents to quickly dispatch the appropriateemergency response personneland equipment. This saves valuabletime when treating the injured andminimizes the effects incidents have ontraffic conditions. After field personnelarrive at the incident scene, TMC operatorscontinue to monitor the incident andconditions surrounding the incident toinform travelers of traffic conditions. (7)• Parking management facilitates improvedand sustained mobility - movingtraffic through a location quickly, withlittle delay, and only once. Parkingmanagement supports effective mobilityby managing parking facilities. In thisdiscipline, systems monitor and surveythe available capacity of parking facilities,both surface lots and garages, andcommunicate the availability or nonavailabilityof spaces to motorists. Indoing so, motorists do not congest thehighway network by traveling fromparking location to parking location inhopes of finding an available space.Traveler InformationTo ensure the successful management of aspecial event, it is vital to communicate withtravelers to inform them of anticipated (future)and current conditions on the network:• One goal is to provide the conditionsinformation to en-route travelers so theymay alter their route or mode, and topre-trip travelers so they may alter theirtrip planning. Information that can beprovided includes current traffic conditions,congestion, lane or turn restrictions,HOV restrictions, alternate routes,parking availability, and road closuresand the relevant time periods.• A second goal is to inform the public ofthe event well enough in advance to allowintended travelers, whether event attendeesor not, to change their travelhabits prior to the event.Various means and technologies are used todisseminate information to the public. Informationis provided to:• Pre-trip travelers via websites, mediabroadcasts, and mobile communicationdevices (e.g., personal digital assistants,pagers, and cell phones).• En-route travelers via roadside devicessuch as changeable message signs andhighway advisory radio, and in-vehiclevia commercial radio.• Both pre-trip travelers and en-route travelersthrough mobile phones, webenabledwireless phones, pagers and personaldigital assistants (PDA).In support of these functions, there are manytechnologies in the realm of ITS that havebeen incorporated for special event man-4-32