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

Table 5-12Example Modal Split for Discrete/Recurring Events at a Permanent VenueMODE OF TRAVELEVENT ATTENDANCEAUTO TRANSIT WALKING OTHERSan Francisco Giants38,000 – 41,000weekday baseball game –August 2000 (14) (capacity 41,000)48% 41% 8% 3%San Francisco Giants38,000 – 41,000weeknight baseball game –August 2000 (14) (capacity 41,000)50% 37% 7% 6%San Francisco Giants38,000 – 41,000weekend baseball game –August 2000 (14) (capacity 41,000)58% 34% 5% 4%New York Mets weeknight18,000baseball game –June 1997 (15) (capacity 56,500)59% 41% -- --San Diego Padres weekdaybaseball game – April/May Unknown 85% 12% -- 3%1998 (16)San Diego Padresweeknight baseball game – Unknown 95% 5% -- --April/May 1998 (16)San Diego Padres weekendevening baseball game –April/May 1998 (16) Unknown 85% 12% -- 3%employment centers, residential developments,and hotels to a planned special eventvenue before dismissing walking as a viabletravel mode. Venues located on universitycampuses typically draw a measurable percentageof walking trips. Surveys for collegefootball games have reported as manyas 10 to 25 percent of event patrons arrivingby foot. (17)Practitioners can best obtain measured dataon planned special event modal split throughconducting a survey of event patrons. AppendixD contains an Internet-based eventpatron evaluation survey for those attendingthe 2003 Fair Saint Louis festival. In additionto querying event patrons on mode oftravel, obtaining origin location information(e.g., zip code) assists event planning teamstakeholders configure transit schedules orexpress and charter bus services for futuresimilar events.Event Traffic GenerationUnlike other traffic generators such ascommercial developments, planned specialevent practitioners typically have advanceknowledge of event attendance and, in turn,can develop traffic generation estimates viavehicle occupancy factors. On the otherhand, traffic generation rates, based on eventtraffic volume or parking occupancy data,may not be appropriate for transfer and applicationfrom one special event to another.Too many variables exist with regard toevent category, event logistics, event popularity,weather, and parking characteristics.Event operations and other external variablesaffect any application of historical datato future events.Table 5-13 outlines a two-step process forforecasting event traffic generation. Inputdata includes a modal split estimate since5EVENT PROFILE POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES DAY-OF-EVENT ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PLANNINGOVERVIEW5-21