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

An alternate route plan represents a contingencyplan that stakeholders should considerdeveloping for corridors serving a plannedspecial event venue, where high-speedcrashes or cargo spills may block travellanes for a long duration. In other instances,an alternate route plan becomes a criticalcomponent of the overall event traffic managementplan when roadway or bridge constructionactivities limit the capacity ofmainline corridor flow routes. Transportationsystem operators should also promotetravel choice alternatives, such as usingother travel modes, as an option to drivingalternate routes.The process of developing alternate routeplans and procedures for plan deploymentrequires a group endeavor involving all affectedagencies, most of which likely comprisethe event planning team and/or trafficmanagement team. Table 6-24 lists the stepsrequired in developing an alternate routeplan. Practitioners should consult NCHRPSynthesis 279, Roadway Incident DiversionPractices, for state-of-the-practice informationabout the development and deploymentof alternate route plans. (13) Table 6-25 highlightsnumerous considerations in alternateroute plan development, all of which are addressedin the cited synthesis report.Table 6-24Alternate Route Plan Development ProcessSTEP• Identify mainline bottleneck or problem locations.• Evaluate proposed alternate routes.• Determine appropriate criteria for plan deployment.• Achieve participating agency agreement onroles and responsibilities.• Identify equipment and personnel resourcesrequired to deploy an alternate route plan.• Establish guidelines for plan evaluation andupdating.The effectiveness of deploying an alternateroute plan revolves around the accommodationof diverted traffic along the alternateroute. It is essential that the diverted trafficencounter an equal or higher level of serviceon the alternate route compared with that onthe mainline. As shown in Figure 6-33, alternateroute plan deployment, particularlyplans developed specifically for a plannedspecial event, typically requires significantlaw enforcement resources for alternateroute traffic management and operationssurveillance. Technology applications formanaging traffic on an alternate route, andreducing field personnel requirements, includethe installation of dynamic route guidancesigns controllable from a transportationoperations center. Figure 6-34 shows a dynamictrailblazer sign. During the programplanning phase, stakeholders managing recurringplanned special events at permanentvenues should evaluate the need for installingthese devices along commonly used alternateroutes serving the event venue.Emergency Access RoutesEmergency access route planning involvesdesignating street closures within the venuesite area to connect the some or all of thefollowing termini: (1) public safety (e.g.,fire and emergency medical service) headquarters,(2) local hospital, (3) freeway ormajor arterial serving a regional hospital,and (4) location of staged ambulances andfirst-aid stations for on-site medical treatment.6EVENT PROFILE POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES DAY-OF-EVENT ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PLANNINGOVERVIEW6-41