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

Traffic Management SupportIn a traffic management system, the trafficmonitoring component, or surveillancecomponent, is the process in which data iscollected in the field. This data is used tosupply information about conditions in thefield to other system components includingpersonnel located in the field on the day-ofevent.Surveillance provides the informationneeded to perform the functions identifiedin Table 9-9.Table 9-9Use of Surveillance InformationFUNCTION• Measure traffic and environmental conditionsin real-time.• Make control decisions.• Disseminate traveler information.• Monitor and evaluate system and plan performance.Surveillance is not limited to collecting andmonitoring traffic condition informationalone, nor in some instances are they automatedin nature. Surveillance is applied toweather and pavement conditions to provideoperators and maintenance staff more informationto support their traffic and transitmanagement responsibilities. These systemsalso are being used to manage snow removal,icy roadway treatment, to detect limitedsight distance problems caused by fogor smoke, and to detect high water levelsalong roadways. While much traffic surveillance(detection) is accomplished via automatedmeans, manual detection, most notablyvia in-field personnel on cell phones ortwo-way radios and cell-phone calls frommotorists, is a viable and reliable strategyfor planned special event management. Inmany instances of planned special eventmanagement, the surveillance must be microscopicrather than macroscopic, i.e., aparticular point or location must be monitoredrather than an area or region, and thisstrategy of manual detection is the mostcost-effective and efficient.Various technologies that exist for collectingthis information are described in Table 9-10.Table 9-10Data Collection MethodsMETHOD• In-roadway and over-roadway sensors formeasuring traffic flow parameters• Vehicle probes for collecting data on traveltimes and origin-destination information• Closed circuit television (CCTV) systems forviewing real time video images of the roadway• Road weather information systems (RWIS)for gathering information on pavement andweather conditions• Traffic signal and system detectors to measurecongestion on streets• Parking management systems to monitoravailable capacity in parking garages or lots• Manual methodsDetection and surveillance, whether highlytechnical and automated or simple and manual,is the cornerstone of traffic monitoring.Traffic management strategies and IntelligentTransportation Systems (ITS) technologiescan assist in reducing congestion,improving safety, and enhancing mobility.However, without the capability to know thecurrent operating conditions, coupled withthe cooperation and coordination amongpersonnel in the responsible agencies, thepotential benefits of these strategies andtechnology systems may not be realized. Tothat end, it is not a simple matter to quantifybenefits from detection and surveillancealone, but instead to understand the benefitsrealized from traffic management strategiesand ITS technologies that rely on detectionand surveillance. Some benefits of particularimportance are noted in Table 9-11.9EVENT PROFILE POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES DAY-OF-EVENT ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PLANNINGOVERVIEW9-13