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NATIONAL
NCHRP REPORT 520
COOPERATIVE
HIGHWAY
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Sharing Information between
Public Safety and Transportation
Agencies for Traffic Incident
Management
OCR for page R2
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2004 (Membership as of January 2004)
OFFICERS
Chair: Michael S. Townes, President and CEO, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA
Vice Chair: Joseph H. Boardman, Commissioner, New York State DOT
Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
MEMBERS
MICHAEL W. BEHRENS, Executive Director, Texas DOT
SARAH C. CAMPBELL, President, TransManagement, Inc., Washington, DC
E. DEAN CARLSON, Director, Carlson Associates, Topeka, KS
JOHN L. CRAIG, Director, Nebraska Department of Roads
DOUGLAS G. DUNCAN, President and CEO, FedEx Freight, Memphis, TN
GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, Director, Metrans Transportation Center and Professor, School of Policy, Planning, and Development, USC,
Los Angeles
BERNARD S. GROSECLOSE, JR., President and CEO, South Carolina State Ports Authority
SUSAN HANSON, Landry University Professor of Geography, Graduate School of Geography, Clark University
JAMES R. HERTWIG, President, Landstar Logistics, Inc., Jacksonville, FL
HENRY L. HUNGERBEELER, Director, Missouri DOT
ADIB K. KANAFANI, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
RONALD F. KIRBY, Director of Transportation Planning, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments
HERBERT S. LEVINSON, Principal, Herbert S. Levinson Transportation Consultant, New Haven, CT
SUE McNEIL, Director, Urban Transportation Center and Professor, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, University of
Illinois, Chicago
MICHAEL D. MEYER, Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
KAM MOVASSAGHI, Secretary of Transportation, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development
CAROL A. MURRAY, Commissioner, New Hampshire DOT
JOHN E. NJORD, Executive Director, Utah DOT
DAVID PLAVIN, President, Airports Council International, Washington, DC
JOHN REBENSDORF, Vice President, Network and Service Planning, Union Pacific Railroad Co., Omaha, NE
PHILIP A. SHUCET, Commissioner, Virginia DOT
C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of Texas, Austin
LINDA S. WATSON, General Manager, Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority, Corpus Christi, TX
MARION C. BLAKEY, Federal Aviation Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
SAMUEL G. BONASSO, Acting Administrator, Research and Special Programs Administration, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute, Smyrna, GA (ex officio)
GEORGE BUGLIARELLO, Chancellor, Polytechnic University and Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering (ex officio)
THOMAS H. COLLINS (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard (ex officio)
JENNIFER L. DORN, Federal Transit Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
ROBERT B. FLOWERS (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ex officio)
EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads (ex officio)
JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (ex officio)
RICK KOWALEWSKI, Deputy Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association (ex officio)
MARY E. PETERS, Federal Highway Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
SUZANNE RUDZINSKI, Director, Transportation and Regional Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ex officio)
JEFFREY W. RUNGE, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
ALLAN RUTTER, Federal Railroad Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
ANNETTE M. SANDBERG, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
WILLIAM G. SCHUBERT, Maritime Administrator, U.S.DOT (ex officio)
ROBERT A. VENEZIA, Program Manager of Public Health Applications, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (ex officio)
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
Transportation Research Board Executive Committee Subcommittee for NCHRP
MICHAEL S. TOWNES, Hampton Roads Transit, Hampton, VA JOHN C. HORSLEY, American Association of State Highway
(Chair) and Transportation Officials
JOSEPH H. BOARDMAN, New York State DOT MARY E. PETERS, Federal Highway Administration
GENEVIEVE GIULIANO, University of Southern California, ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR., Transportation Research Board
Los Angeles C. MICHAEL WALTON, University of Texas, Austin
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
NCHRP REPORT 520
Sharing Information between
Public Safety and Transportation
Agencies for Traffic Incident
Management
KEN BROOKE
KEVIN DOPART
TED SMITH
AIMEE FLANNERY
Mitretek Systems, Inc.
Washington, DC
S UBJECT A REAS
Highway Operations, Capacity, and Traffic Control
Research Sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2004
www.TRB.org
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NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH NCHRP REPORT 520
PROGRAM
Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective Project 3-63 FY'01
approach to the solution of many problems facing highway
administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local ISSN 0077-5614
interest and can best be studied by highway departments ISBN 0-309-08792-9
individually or in cooperation with their state universities and
Library of Congress Control Number 2004105207
others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation
develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to © 2004 Transportation Research Board
highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a
coordinated program of cooperative research. Price $22.00
In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the
American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research
program employing modern scientific techniques. This program is
supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating
member states of the Association and it receives the full cooperation
and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States NOTICE
Department of Transportation.
The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies
Highway Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the
was requested by the Association to administer the research
approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval
program because of the Board's recognized objectivity and reflects the Governing Board's judgment that the program concerned is of national
understanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely importance and appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the
suited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committee National Research Council.
structure from which authorities on any highway transportation
The members of the technical committee selected to monitor this project and to review
subject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications and
this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due
cooperation with federal, state and local governmental agencies, consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and
universities, and industry; its relationship to the National Research conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the
Council is an insurance of objectivity; it maintains a full-time research, and, while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical committee,
research correlation staff of specialists in highway transportation they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National
matters to bring the findings of research directly to those who are in Research Council, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
a position to use them. Officials, or the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation.
The program is developed on the basis of research needs Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical committee
identified by chief administrators of the highway and transportation according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research
departments and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research
areas of research needs to be included in the program are proposed Council.
to the National Research Council and the Board by the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
Research projects to fulfill these needs are defined by the Board, and
qualified research agencies are selected from those that have
submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research
contracts are the responsibilities of the National Research Council
and the Transportation Research Board. Published reports of the
The needs for highway research are many, and the National
NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM
Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant
contributions to the solution of highway transportation problems of are available from:
mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program,
however, is intended to complement rather than to substitute for or Transportation Research Board
duplicate other highway research programs. Business Office
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
and can be ordered through the Internet at:
Note: The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the
National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the individual
http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
states participating in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do
not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers' names appear
herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report. Printed in the United States of America
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The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol-
ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology
and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in
1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni-
cal matters. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad-
emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration
and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for
advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs
aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve-
ments of engineers. Dr. William A. Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the
services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to
the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of
Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative,
to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the
Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate
the broad community of science and technology with the Academy's purposes of furthering knowledge and
advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad-
emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and
the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific
and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Institute
of Medicine. Dr. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the
National Research Council.
The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, which serves the
National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The Board's mission is to promote
innovation and progress in transportation through research. In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, the
Board facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and
practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical
excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research
results broadly and encourages their implementation. The Board's varied activities annually engage more
than 4,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and
private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is
supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of
the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the
development of transportation. www.TRB.org
www.national-academies.org
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 520
ROBERT J. REILLY, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, NCHRP Manager
B. RAY DERR, Senior Program Officer
EILEEN P. DELANEY, Managing Editor
BETH HATCH, Assistant Editor
NCHRP PROJECT 3-63 PANEL
Field of Traffic--Area of Operations and Control
TIMOTHY D. SCHOCH, Advanced Regional Traffic Interactive Management Information
Center, Cincinnati, OH (Chair)
SUE GROTH, Minnesota DOT
DAVID HELMAN, FHWA
DANIEL W. HOWARD, New York State DOT
DAVID A. KINNECOM, Utah DOT
ANDY MacFARLANE, Phoenix Fire Department
CHARLES "CHUCK" MILLER, HNTB Corporation, Kansas City, MO
JEAN-YVES POINT-DU-JOUR, Maryland State Highway Administration
TOM POLONIS, San Antonio Police Department
RANDY VanGORDER, FHWA Liaison Representative
RICHARD A. CUNARD, TRB Liaison Representative
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Proj-
ect 3-63 by Mitretek Systems, Inc. The principal investigators were
Kevin Dopart, Manager, and Ken Brooke, Principal Engineer. The
other authors of this report were Aimee Flannery and Ted Smith,
both Lead Engineers at Mitretek Systems. The work was done under
the general supervision of Ken Brooke.
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This report presents lessons learned from around the country on how public safety and
FOREWORD transportation agencies share information for managing traffic incidents. Managers of traf-
By B. Ray Derr fic incident management programs, either public safety or transportation, can apply these
Staff Officer lessons to improve the capabilities of their programs.
Transportation Research
Board
"Incident management is defined as the systematic, planned, and coordinated use
of human, institutional, mechanical, and technical resources to reduce the duration and
impact of incidents, and improve the safety of motorists, crash victims, and incident
responders (Traffic Incident Management Handbook, 2000)." There are many organi-
zations involved in traffic incident management, including public safety agencies (e.g.,
law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services); transportation agencies; and
other types of responders (e.g., environmental conservation, medical examiners, and
towing and recovery). Efficient response is both a public safety issue and a mobility
issue, because longer response and clearance times mean less effective critical care,
more traffic congestion, and reduced mobility.
Interagency exchange of information promotes rapid, efficient, and appropriate
response from all agencies. Public safety agencies benefit from obtaining closed-circuit
television pictures for verification and assessment of an incident as they begin their
response. This visual information helps the agencies to dispatch the appropriate response
teams and to recall those teams if the incident clears up before they arrive. Public safety
agencies can also benefit from information regarding traffic conditions on the response
route and special information, such as blocked railroad crossings or construction, that
might affect the response.
Transportation agencies also benefit from sharing information. Even in areas with
good video surveillance, the great majority of incidents are first reported by cell phone
to 911 public safety answering points (PSAPs). These PSAPs cover the entire trans-
portation system while video surveillance is typically limited to the urban freeways. In
most metropolitan areas, public safety agencies use computer-aided dispatch, which is
often the best source of timely, detailed information on traffic incidents. In addition to
sending response teams to the scene, transportation agencies can initiate actions such
as variable message sign and highway advisory radio messages, traffic signal timing
changes, and public information notices based on the information they receive from the
public safety agencies.
In NCHRP Project 3-63, Mitretek Systems identified several regions across the
United States with active traffic incident management programs. They then visited both
public safety and transportation agencies in these regions and conducted in-depth inter-
views to determine how information is being shared and how well those methods work.
The report includes detailed studies of the regions visited and a summary of lessons
learned.
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CONTENTS 1 CHAPTER 1 Summary
4 CHAPTER 2 Introduction
2.1 Incident Management Context for Traffic Operations, 4
2.2 Research Approach, 5
2.3 What Information and Methods of Sharing Were Considered? 5
7 CHAPTER 3 Information Sharing for Traffic Incident Management
3.1 Summary of Case Study Results, 7
3.1.1 Albany, 7
3.1.2 Austin, 7
3.1.3 Cincinnati, 7
3.1.4 Minneapolis, 7
3.1.5 Phoenix, 9
3.1.6 Salt Lake City, 9
3.1.7 San Antonio, 9
3.1.8 San Diego, 9
3.1.9 Seattle, 9
3.2 Methods Used in Practice, 10
3.2.1 Face-to-Face, 10
3.2.2 Remote Voice, 10
3.2.3 Electronic Text, 11
3.2.4 Other Media and Advanced Systems, 11
13 CHAPTER 4 Implications and Challenges
4.1 Benefits and Performance Measures, 13
4.2 Institutional Implications, 13
4.2.1 Frameworks, 13
4.2.2 Relationships, 14
4.3 Technology Implications, 14
4.4 Operational Implications, 15
4.4.1 Information to Support Emergency Response, 15
4.4.2 Service Patrols, 16
4.4.3 Full-Time Operations, 16
4.4.4 Incident Management System and Interagency Training, 16
4.4.5 Security, Terrorism, and Homeland Defense, 17
19 CHAPTER 5 Conclusions and Recommendations
20 CHAPTER 6 References
A-1 APPENDIX A Albany, New York, Case Study
B-1 APPENDIX B Austin, Texas, Case Study
C-1 APPENDIX C Cincinnati, Ohio, Case Study
D-1 APPENDIX D Minneapolis, Minnesota, Case Study
E-1 APPENDIX E Phoenix, Arizona, Case Study
F-1 APPENDIX F Salt Lake City, Utah, Case Study
G-1 APPENDIX G San Antonio, Texas, Case Study
H-1 APPENDIX H San Diego, California, Case Study
I-1 APPENDIX I Seattle, Washington, Case Study
