FHWA Resource Center
RC Success Stories
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 6
Your Link To Successful Solutions For Today's Transportation
MARCH, 2002
PLAY-BY-PLAY ACTION - IN & OUT TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
WOW! Not only was the Super Bowl XXXVI a success, but so was the special events traffic management plan instituted by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD), District 2 office in Bridge City. With the intense mass of traffic that flowed through the New Orleans Metro area, LA DOTD District 2's mission was to take care of all motorist during the numerous Super Bowl events. It was important that the motorist made it to their destinations and back out without any confusion. With security playing a major role in Super Bowl planning, in light of September 11th, inclusion of an Intelligent Transportation Systems' (ITS) infrastructure by LA DOTD was critical.
1. In what way did the LA DOTD play an intricate role in the successful in & out traffic management?
With the experience of several Super Bowls under their belt, LA DOTD helped pulled off their best one yet. Because of the unique circumstances from the aftermath of September 11th, Super Bowl XXXVI was designated a National Security Event. The parameters for street closures were defined by the Secret Service in conjunction with the NFL's contracted event planners. This presented a challenge. Therefore, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) Traffic Division worked jointly with the LA DOTD to control the Interstate and expressway ramps in conjunction with surface street closures. They divided the responsibility so that the NOPD Traffic and City Traffic Engineering (Public Works) Divisions handled all street closures on the surface streets and LA DOTD handled the closures of the Interstate and expressway ramps. LA DOTD's own bridge police force assisted with some of the expressway ramp closures on the approach to the Mississippi River Bridge. Since these closures were dictated more by security planning as opposed to game day traffic management, several of these closures were in place eight days prior to the game and extended up to two days after the game.
2. What was the designated transportation plan for surface street traffic control?
- There was a coordinated system of portable Dynamic Message Signs' (DMS) to keep the public informed of street closures, and parking availability. Shuttle buses were used within the downtown area itself to get people between the Convention Center and the Superdome.
- The local media was an important service of traveler information as they provided the public with prior notification of street closures and parking options.
3. What did LA DOTD learn from this that other DOT's could use in planning for similar events?
It would be helpful to bring the DOT into the event planning process as early as practical:
- To avoid confusing the public; they would not agree to constant closing and opening of ramps. They determined the latest practical closure dates, and once the ramps were closed, they stayed closed for the duration.
- A centralized control of the DMS system was provided. This allowed the coordination of messages on both the freeway and surface streets. DMS's with remote cellular connections were strategically placed at locations subject to changing conditions.
4. What was the key to the overall operation?
The DMS's were most useful in reinforcing notice of ramp closures that had already been published in the media, and in dealing with the truck restriction. Without an established Traffic Management Center (TMC), communications were handled primarily by cell phone between agencies and by internal radios within DOTD itself. The keys to the whole operation were:
- The informal relationships they already had with key people in NOPD, State Police, and with the traffic control contractor and URHT though the Traffic Committee of the Metropolitan Safety Council and the Regional Incident Management Team. Knowing with whom they are dealing and having a mutual trust there is invaluable.
- The experience of Local and State authorities managing large volumes of people on the ground and monitoring and controlling ramps, street intersections, etc.
Other focused contributions/involvement
- Deployment and programming of portable Dynamic Message Signs (DMS) - used to give motorists timely notice of ramp closures and other route information. United Rentals/ Highway Technologies (URHT), a provider of Automated Information Management System (AIMS), was contracted to provide short term lease equipment.
- Installation of guide signs and truck prohibition signing - LA DOTD Traffic Services sign crews out of Baton Rouge and District 2 fabricated and installed 18 Interstate supplemental guide signs for all events featuring the Super Bowl logo.
- Four days before game day, security requirements dictated the need to prohibit all trucks on the Interstate and the elevated expressway (U.S. 90 Business) in the vicinity of the Superdome. To accomplish this, 34 special Truck Prohibition signs were fabricated. Louisiana State Police patrolled the highways and staffed several key on-ramps to reroute errant trucks.
The lessons learned from experiences such as this will help them to make their permanent ITS infrastructure work more effectively in this region once they get those systems in place. The infrastructure, in turn, will allow for more efficient and timely responses to similar situations as they arise-without the need for the allocation of a large number of personnel.
For more information, please contact:
Steven C. Strength, P.E., District Traffic Operations Engineer, LA DOTD
Phone: (504) 437-3135
TRAINING
What's New
