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Volpe Center Highlights - July/August 2002
Focus
Director's Notes |
Focus |
Safety |
Mobility and Economic Growth
Human and Natural Environment |
Organizational Excellence |
Homeland Security
Papers and Presentations
Improving Regional Transportation Planning for Catastrophic Events (FHWA)
Recent catastrophic events have heightened awareness of the importance, as well as the vulnerability, of transportation systems and the need for improved emergency response planning. The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Operations is working to incorporate lessons learned from recent events into future emergency response planning across the country with the assistance of the Volpe Center.
Center staff is supporting a comprehensive FHWA effort to examine the impacts of four recent catastrophic events on transportation systems and to understand what actions were taken in response to the events. Volpe staff developed two case studies and oversaw the development of two others. The four case studies analyzed information from literature reviews and interviews with key participants, and will be used to help promote discussion at a series of regional emergency preparedness workshops sponsored by FHWA this year.
The Volpe Center analyzed recent catastrophic events and determined lessons learned that should be considered in future transportation emergency response planning. The Volpe reports provided a foundation for FHWA emergency preparedness workshops being held throughout the country. (Photos courtesy of [left to right] California Dept. of Transportation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, AP/World Wide Photo.)
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Each study addressed the following questions:
- Were the key players prepared?
- What happened and who took action?
- What aspects of the emergency response worked well; what did not; and why?
- What role did technology play?
- What was learned, what could be done differently, and what can be incorporated into the planning process?
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The studies document the actions taken by transportation agencies in response to:
- New York City, September 11, 2001
- Washington, D.C., September 11, 2001
- Baltimore, Maryland, rail tunnel fire, July 18, 2001
- Northridge, California, earthquake, January 17, 1994.
Each of these events occurred with no warning and resulted in substantial, immediate, and adverse impacts on transportation, and each has had varying degrees of influence on the longer-term operation of transportation facilities and services in its respective region. Each event revealed important information about the response of the transportation system to major stress and the ability of operating agencies and their public safety and emergency management partners to respond effectively to a crisis. The reports emphasize the transportation aspects of the catastrophic events and lessons learned that could be incorporated into future emergency response planning.
Lessons Learned
After analyzing all the information gathered in research and interviews, the Volpe team concluded that the following five lessons learned should be considered in future planning.
Pre-existing relationships among agencies and personnel are key to emergency management success. Well-established relationships among the many transportation and emergency personnel in New York formed one of the most important success factors in managing the post-attack situation. The response to the Northridge earthquake was also greatly facilitated by pre-existing interagency relationships. Such relationships help transcend the different response approaches used by transportation, military, and law enforcement agencies.
Packed New York City subway train on the morning of September 11 after the attack. (Photo courtesy of AP/World Wide Photo.) |
Preparedness planning is another crucial element, and must include the development of an emergency response plan and training for all shifts of workers. In Northridge, New York, and Washington, previous catastrophes had prompted regional agencies to develop plans, establish or upgrade operations centers, and participate in emergency drills. Planning helps establish relationships and define roles and responsibilities.
Training field personnel as well as managers is vital, for they often must make critical decisions with little or no input from senior staff. In New York, many key transportation personnel were missing or out of contact for the first few hours on September 11. Nevertheless, thanks to the quick decisions of field staff, agencies were responding within minutes of the attack. Redundancy must be built into institutions and physical systems, including personnel, communications, utilities, and control centers. A new approach to redundancy is needed -- a backup is not adequate if it is also exposed to failure in an emergency. The transportation infrastructure facilitates emergency response and evacuation, so an alternative network is critical, as are remote backup operations and emergency management facilities. New York's Office of Emergency Management had been located in the World Trade Center; a temporary office had to be re-located three times on September 11.
One of the primary transportation actions taken in Washington on September 11 was closing I-395 inside the Beltway to facilitate movement of emergency vehicles. (Photo courtesy of the Federal Emergency Management Administration) |
Multiple technical communication methods help ensure proper institutional communication. Redundancy and resiliency in communications is critical. Systems that depend on cell phones or landlines can be unreliable; an emergency response system should include both alternative technologies and redundant network connectivity. Available communication modes can be dependent on the nature and location of a particular event. Immediately following the Northridge earthquake, cell phones and radio were the only means of communication for emergency personnel. However, service was unreliable in the canyon areas, where most of the damage occurred. Staff had to fill the gap with pagers, fax machines, and electronic data sharing via computers. In New York, cellular and radio towers were destroyed, and landlines were limited. Interagency communication was aided by other methods, such as email, dedicated cell phones, two-way radios, and wireless email. Advanced technologies play an important role in communications and decision making. Traffic management centers, closed-circuit TV, sensor systems, dynamic message signs, advanced traffic control systems, Web sites, and geographic information systems were all identified as useful in aiding internal and external communication; the first six of these tools are associated with intelligent transportation systems (ITS).
Timely decision making requires effective communication of accurate information. In the aftermath of disaster, ITS enabled facility managers to: make informed decisions, improve regional transportation management, and enhance communication with the public. In the Washington area, traffic signal systems were adjusted to facilitate the rush of commuters from the District, and to enable access by emergency responders. In New York, TRANSCOM used traffic volume data to enable agencies to better distribute traffic, and the ITS package on the George Washington Bridge helped manage its closing and reopening. Highway advisory radio, dynamic message signs, and closed circuit television provided public information.
Providing the Foundation for Emergency Preparedness Workshops
The FHWA workshops will help incorporate lessons learned into future emergency response planning across the country. |
The four case studies will be used as intended in a series of ten regional workshops sponsored by the Office of Operations that will bring transportation officials and emergency response providers together to discuss emergency preparedness and the role that transportation plays in response and recovery. These workshops are designed to enhance working relationships of personnel from different organizations in the region, and to identify areas for improvement in planning and readiness in the region. They will also help determine next steps and provide input to emergency preparedness guidance being developed at the national level.
Continuing Support to FHWA
Volpe work on this important project will continue over the next several months as the team develops a crosscutting study summarizing the findings of the four case studies for high-level decision makers.
The Volpe team that conducted the reviews was led by Mr. Allan DeBlasio of the Planning and Policy Analysis Division; Mr. DeBlasio also presented the findings at the Northeast Association of State Transportation Officials in April 2002.
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