4.2.8 Impacts to Transportation Systems Due to Evacuation
Earlier sections of this report identified literature found during the search that addressed evacuation impacts to transportation systems (for example, the use of transit to accommodate evacuees during the blackouts and during the 9/11 attacks) and impacts to the road systems during hurricanes. The intent of this section is not to repeat that information, but to identify other literature.
This section is subdivided into transportation impacts due to closure of manufacturing plants, coordination for reentry, impact of transit decisions, and traffic management plans for evacuations.
Findings regarding impacts to transportation systems include:
- During the blackouts in the Great Lakes region, manufacturing plants ceased operations and the release of their employees thus impacted the transportation network.
- Reentry of evacuees requires coordination to ensure their return is successful and manageable.
- During the New York City blackout, transit managers’ decisions impacted the evacuation.
- Transportation systems can become overwhelmed with evacuees.
4.2.8.1 Transportation Impacts Due to Closure of Manufacturing Plants
During the blackouts in the Great Lakes region, manufacturing plants ceased operations and, as a result, impacted the transportation network. As reported in Effects of Catastrophic Events on Transportation System Management and Operations: August 2003 Northeast Blackout Great Lakes Region, “Without power to run equipment and without needed materials and other supplies, several automobile-manufacturing plants in Cleveland ceased operations during the period of the blackout. The closure of the plants had a significant effect on commuting and other travel patterns in the Cleveland area in the days after the blackout, allowing many people to remain at home as the city gradually returns to normalcy.”
4.2.8.2 Coordination for Reentry
Reentry of evacuees requires coordination to ensure their return is successful and manageable. According to the State of Florida Regional Evacuation Procedure(s), “The process for reentry will be coordinated to ensure the safety of the public and protection of property. The reentry decision and traffic management will be a carefully managed process coordinated by the State Emergency Operations Center. There will be coordinated conference calls with state and local law enforcement, transportation agencies, and all counties affected and will serve to coordinate the timing of reentry. Each county Emergency Operations center will be responsible for making a determination of reentry.”
4.2.8.3 Impact of Transit Decisions
During the New York City blackout, transit managers’ decisions impacted the evacuation. As reported in Effects of Catastrophic Events on Transportation System Management and Operations: August 2003 Northeast Blackout New York City, “Shortly after the blackout Port Authority managers made the decision to close the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan because the facility has emergency power backup designed only to supply the power necessary to evacuate the building but not to keep the building operating. The evacuation was completed in approximately 15 minutes, but this closure complicated the process of getting passengers onto buses and on their way home. As people trying to get to New Jersey descended upon the bus terminal, the Port Authority and New Jersey Transit staffs set up temporary staging areas outside of the building. In order to evacuate as many people as quickly as possible, New Jersey Transit managers set up a shuttle service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal to a temporary staging area it was setting up at the Meadowlands Stadium. From the Meadowlands, New Jersey Transit operated buses that tried to duplicate, as best it could, service throughout its transit district. Several managers commented that installed or portable technology, specifically lights, portable variable message signs, and communication technology, outside of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, would have benefited the evacuation process.”
During the blackout in the Great Lakes region, public transit vehicles used to evacuate passengers in turn became delayed due to evacuation efforts. As reported in Learning from the 2003 Blackout, “Those passengers who were evacuated from the light rail vehicles were met by Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority buses and four-wheel drive vehicles, which had been diverted from their normal routes in order to transport stranded commuters. Although the passenger evacuation was handled smoothly and quickly, many of the diverted vehicles were delayed in the downtown gridlock.”
4.2.8.4 Traffic Management Plans for Evacuations
Transportation systems can become overwhelmed with evacuees. To standardize the process of evacuation, the State of Florida has created the State of Florida Regional Evacuation Procedure(s). According to the procedures, “Each county is to have a traffic management plan. The plan is to identify specific actions to maintain a smooth flow from evacuation routes into the region to host shelters including: a) Traffic control points and the responsible agency for providing staffing and operational control; b) Barricade plans including location and staffing; and c) Potential one-way/reverse-lane operations.”
February 7, 2006
Publication #FHWA–HOP-08-015
