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

INTRODUCTIONFigure i-1Planned Special EventPLANNED SPECIALEVENTSPlanned special events include sportingevents, concerts, festivals, and conventionsoccurring at permanent multi-use venues(e.g., arenas, stadiums, racetracks, fairgrounds,amphitheaters, convention centers,etc.). They also include less frequent publicevents such as parades, fireworks displays,bicycle races, sporting games, motorcyclerallies, seasonal festivals, and milestonecelebrations at temporary venues.The term planned special event is used todescribe these activities because of theirknown locations, scheduled times of occurrence,and associated operating characteristics.Emergencies, such as a severe weatherevent or other major catastrophe, representspecial events that can induce extreme trafficdemand under an evacuation condition.However, these events occur at random andwith little or no advance warning, thus contrastingcharacteristics of planned specialevents.A planned special event creates an increasein travel demand and may require road closuresto stage the event. Planned specialevents generate trips, thus impacting overalltransportation system operations. This includesfreeway operations, arterial and otherstreet operations, transit operations, and pedestrianflow. Unlike roadway constructionactivities or traffic incidents that constraintravel within a single corridor, planned specialevents affect travel in all corridors servingthe event venue.i-1