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

STEPNO. PAGE267-2 to7-1427 7-628 6-7229 6-6130 6-7031 7-14EVENT-SPECIFIC ISSUES• High applicability of high occupancy vehicleincentives, local travel demand management,and charter bus service to this event category.• Roadway network serving the event likely notlighted.• Consideration of quick clearance initiatives toavoid breakdown of critical traffic flow routes.• Emphasis on portable roadside traveler informationdevices.• Emphasis on portable closed-circuit television,field observation, and/or aerial observation.• Communication to a regional audience.• Event patrons likely unfamiliar with roadwaysand the transportation system serving theevent.EVENT-SPECIFIC REFERENCE INFORMATIONTOPICPAGE• Example: Portable lighting; Figure 6-58. 6-73• Example: Congestion warning sign; Figure 6-59.6-73annotated planning timeline, (2) a reviewprocess, and (3) performance standards.Under risk assessment, scenarios relatingto excessive overcrowding may warrantconsideration if planning for a sportingor concert event.• Traffic management plan components inChapter 6 that provide an overview ofvarious principles driving plan developmentin addition to a contingency planchecklist.IMPLEMENTATION ANDDAY-OF-EVENTACTIVITIESImplementation activities represent anessential phase in advance planning for ruralevents. The traffic management team mayinvolve new interagency relationships, and itrequires an event-specific implementationplan to communicate specifics of the newtraffic management plan prepared by theevent planning team. Stakeholder developmentof implementation plan details for anevent at a permanent venue focuses ontransportation operation successes and lessonslearned for previous, similar events atthe subject venue.Because particular rural event types occurinfrequently, stakeholder simulation exercisesprove valuable in assisting traffic managementteam personnel understand theroles and responsibilities of participatingstakeholders in addition to the actions takenon the day-of-event. Exercises must involvefield staff, some of whom represent personnelobtained temporarily from other regionsfor the purpose of increasing local stakeholder(e.g., state police, etc.) staff for anevent. Temporary staff, although possiblyexperienced in traffic control, usually do nothave familiarity with the local transportationsystem or roadways in the vicinity of thevenue site. Equipment testing marks anotherkey consideration as day-of-event operationsat and in the vicinity of the eventsite usually depend on portable equipmentfor traffic control, surveillance, and disseminationof en-route traveler information.These intensive stakeholder activities reflectthe typical unfamiliarity with managingtravel for a rural event coupled with the factthat transportation management activities,on the order required for a planned specialevent, may not regularly take place in thevicinity of the event site.Table 15-4 presents a checklist of implementationand day-of-event activities for15-6