1. Report No.

FHWA-HOP-08-016

4. Title and Subtitle

Interview and Survey Results: Assessment of the State of the Practice and State of the Art in Evacuation Transportation Management

5. Report Date

June 2006

6.  Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)

Pierre Pretorius, Susan Anderson, Kwasi Akwabi, Brent Crowther, Queenie Ye, Nancy Houston, Andrea Vann Easton

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.
7878 N. 16th Street, Suite 300
Phoenix, Arizona 85020

Booz Allen Hamilton
8283 Greensboro Drive
McLean, Virginia 22102

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

Final Report

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

HOTO, FHWA

15. Supplementary Notes

Kimberly Vasconez, FHWA, Office of Operations, Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR). Document was prepared by Booz Allen Hamilton under contract to FHWA.

16. Abstract

Much of what is known about evacuations is based on preparations for incidents, such as hurricanes, for which there is advance warning. With advance warning, evacuations can be planned and managed using procedures and systems that have been developed as a result of extensive and methodical pre-planning. This approach, however, does not adequately support management of incidents when there is no advance warning or when conditions are changing rapidly. Evacuations in response to these types of incidents tend to be monitored, but not well managed. Because the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognized the importance of and need for new tools and processes to help agencies plan for and manage evacuations where there is little or no advanced warning, they initiated a project to assess the state of the practice and state of the art in evacuation transportation management.

The purpose of this report is to document emergency evacuation plans and practices employed by transportation management organizations in several large metropolitan areas in the United States. This document discusses specific practices with regard to management through the use of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and related traffic management tools such as CCTV cameras, Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), Highway Advisory Radio (HAR), 511 systems, websites, interconnected traffic signal systems, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes, and traffic signal priority for transit. Interview results for 14 public and private transportation agencies from five large metropolitan areas are documented in this report.

17. Key Words

Evacuations, No-notice evacuations, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Traffic Management Tools

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified.

20. Security Classif. (of this page)

Unclassified.

21. No. of Pages

79

22. Price