This toolkit document is the result of a study on “Communicating with the Public Using ATIS during Disasters” conducted by Battelle for the Federal Highway Administration in Collaboration with the Research and Innovative Technology Administration's ITS Joint Program Office. The purpose of the study is to examine what information needs to be communicated to evacuees and other travelers under disaster conditions, and how the advanced traveler information system (ATIS) assets of a State's Department of Transportation (DOT) or other transportation agency can be effectively used to deliver such information. ATIS assets have become increasingly plentiful in this Nation, including the 511 traveler information telephone number which is within reach of 100 million Americans.

The toolkit aids in the assessment of who, what, when, where, why and how the traveler information assets need to operate to deliver critical and useful information during major no-notice events or disasters. Assessing regional and metropolitan coordination has become even more critical due to the aftermath of various types of disasters that have occurred in the United States in the past several years ranging from major hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and the post-9/11 threat of terrorism.

The wide array of media available to travelers makes this toolkit and its suggested methodology valuable for those regions facing natural and man-made events. Effective communication to the public who are planning their trips or who are already enroute is essential for protecting lives and for mitigating the impacts of the disaster. Additional benefits of traveler information strategy development will benefit responders working to verify the nature of a problem, to identify the appropriate response, and to deliver the correct equipment and personnel resources to and from the scene quickly and safely.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey F. Paniati Associate Administrator for Operations Federal Highway Administration

Shelley J. Row Director, ITS Joint Program Office Research and Innovative Technology Administration