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

sive express bus service between area parkand-ridelots and a stadium may operate forSunday football games but not for a concertat the same facility because of resource constraints.• Traffic management plan components inChapter 6 that provide an overview ofvarious principles driving plan developmentin addition to a contingency planchecklist.11The flowchart in Figure 11-2 represents asuggested order of event operations planningactivities. However, as noted below, theevent planning team can modify activities tocreate a dynamic and more effective planningprocess tailored to the scope of a specificplanned special event:• Based on lessons learned from past specialevents at a particular permanentvenue, stakeholders may program newinfrastructure or adopt new policies (e.g.,parking restrictions) early in the eventoperations planning process.• Links between process steps are twowayas stakeholders evaluate alternativestrategies and/or integrate traffic managementplan components.• The event planning team can developdifferent traffic management plan componentsconcurrently.The event operations planning process referencesinformation and concepts contained inthe advance planning section of this handbook,and it directs the user to recommendedguidelines, procedures, strategies, and resourceapplications for managing travel for aspecific planned special event. When followingthe process, practitioners should review:• Important advance planning considerationsand external factors, summarized inChapter 5, that influence planning activities.For instance, under risk assessment,scenarios relating to fan celebrationsand excessive overcrowding maywarrant consideration if planning for amajor sporting or concert event.IMPLEMENTATION ANDDAY-OF-EVENTACTIVITIESThe traffic management team that managestravel for a discrete/recurring event at apermanent venue usually has familiaritywith traffic patterns and potential flowbreakdown points in the vicinity of the site,primarily based on their past experience onpreviously held special events at the samevenue. Hence, stakeholder development ofimplementation plan details focus on transportationoperation successes and lessonslearned for previous, similar events at thesubject venue. Special events regularly occurat stadium, arena, and amphitheater venues.Involved traffic operations and law enforcementpersonnel, for instance, maintaina level of preparedness akin to that of trafficincident responders.Table 11-4 presents a checklist ofimplementation and day-of-event activitiesfor stakeholders to consider regarding anydiscrete/recurring event at a permanentvenue. As indicated in the table, the eventplanning team must determine, based onvarious event operations characteristics(e.g., event type, event location, event timeof occurrence, attendance, market area, etc.)and other external factors, what unique setof activities apply in handling a specificspecial event. The table facilitates fastaccess to handbook sections providingdetailed guidance, including recommendedstrategies, protocol, and resourceapplications, required by users to plan andexecute these activities.EVENT PROFILE POST-EVENT ACTIVITIES DAY-OF-EVENT ACTIVITIES ADVANCE PLANNINGOVERVIEW11-7