University of South Florida Scholar Commons CUTR Research Reports CUTR Publications 1997 Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Analysis and Operational Measures Douglas P. Zaragoza Edward A. Mierzejewski Mark W. Burris Vikash Palisetti Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cutr_reports Scholar Commons Citation Zaragoza, Douglas P.; Mierzejewski, Edward A.; Burris, Mark W.; and Palisetti, Vikash, "Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Analysis and Operational Measures" (1997). CUTR Research Reports. 266. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cutr_reports/266 This Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access by the CUTR Publications at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in CUTR Research Reports by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Hurricane Evacuation Traffic Analysis and Operational Measures Interim Technical Report Prepared by: Douglas P. Zaragoza, AICP Edward A. Mier.rejewski, Ph.D., PE Mark W. Burris Vikash Palisetti Center for Urban Transportation Research College of Engineering, Universiry of Soutli Florida May 1997 Table of Contents LIST OF TAB LES .......................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGU"RES . ...................................................... ,.. _....... ....................................................... v SUMMARY ...................................... H . .... .. ... .. .............. ... .. ... ..............H oooooO-ooooooo •••········ ··· ·oo-o••••··· vi HURRICANE OPAL EVACU ATl ON TRAFFIC CHARACTERJSTICS .......................... I Evacuation Traffic Analysis .......... .......... ... ............... ............. ............. ............. ..................... ... ... 5 Traffic Count Locations .... .................... ............... ............. ........................................................... 5 Evacuation Traffic Characteristics ................. ........................... ...... ............ ................... ............. 5 Evacuation Response Rates ............ ... ... ............. ......... .......... ........ ....... ................. .... .................. 6 County Evacuation Traffic Characteristics Summaries .. ......... ................ .... .......... .... ... ............... 8 Escarn bia County ............. ...... .......... ...... ... ... ............. ... ... ... ... ............. ... ........... .. ........ ....... ... ..... 9 Santa Rosa County .... ....... ......................... ................... ...... ................................ ..... .................. 9 Okaloosa County ....... ................ ......... ................... ............... ... .......................... .. ....... .............. 9 Walton County ...... .... ............. ...... ................... ... ................................ ....... ... ............................ 9 Bay County ............. ....... ...................................... ... ... ............... ........... .......... ... ........ .. .... .......... 9 Gulf County ...... .......................... ............................ .......... ........ ...................................... ........ I0 Franklin County ...... ...... ....... ... ... ................ ...... .. ............. ............ ............... ... ........................ I 0 Wakulla County .... ....... .................................. .......... ... ...... ......... ....... ........................ ....... ....... 10 Holmes and Washington Counties .... ... ......................... ................... ........................ ....... ....... I 0 Jackson County ........ ......... .......... ....... ......... ................... ...................... .................................. II Calhoun County ... ........ .. ................................................... ... .. ........... ... ..................... ....... ...... I I Liberty County .. .... .... ............. ...................... ........ ............. .......... .............. ....... ... .... ... ....... ..... II Gadsden and Leon Counties ............................................ ... ................................. ................. .. II Post-Opal Public Response Survey ....................... .......................... .. ................. ....................... I I HURRICANE BERTHA EVACUATION TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS .................. 13 Traffic Count Locations ...... ... ............................ ......... .... ...... ... ..... ..... ...... .......... ....... ....... .... ...... 16 Traffic Count Data Analysis .. .................................. .......... ... ......... .............. ................. ....... ...... 21 Level of Service ........... ....... ...... ......................... ... ............. ........... ........ ............................... .... .. 21 Clearance Time Estimates ............................ ... ... ... ................ ............. ........................ ....... ........ 21 Duration of Substantial Evacuating Traffic ................. .... ...... ...... .......... .............. ....... ............... 22 Comparison of Estimated and Observed Clearance Times ........................ ......... ...................... 24 CURRENT TRAFFIC DATA COLLECTION METHODS·································-············ 26 Current FDOT Traffic Data Collection Methods .......................... ........... .... ...... .... ....... ... .... ..... 26 Detector Functionality ........ ...................... ............................ ... ... .... ... ........ ... ... ....................... 26 Detector Technologies. ..... ................ ... ... ................... ............ ... ... ........... .... ... ... ... ............... .... 27 Power Sources ........................................ ................... ... .................................... ........... ....... ... 27 Comrounication and Data Retrieval .. ...... ................ ...................... ....... ................. ....... ... ....... 28 II View Mode ..................... .................................... ................... ................................... ........... ... 28 Reconunended Changes ........ .............................................................. ... ... .... ....... .................. 28 ALTERNATIVE TECHNOLOGIES ........................................................................................ 30 Inductance Detectors .... ......... ............. ... ... ..... ... ...... .... ... ............ ....... .................... ..................... 30 Magnetic Detectors ... ... .... ... ... .......... ... ... ................. ................... ... ....... ..................... .... ............. 30 Piezoelectric Sensors ....... ...... ....... ......... ................. ....... ... ......... ... .... ... ..................... ................. 31 Microwave Radar Sensors .. ....................................................... ... .... ... ...... ........... ..................... 31 Infrared Sensors .................. .................................................................................. ..................... 31 Sonic and Ultrasonic Devices ................ ... ............................................................ ............... ...... 32 Video Based Systems ....................................................... ................. ... ................. .............. ...... 33 Cellular Phones ....................... ............ ... ... ............ ... ... .......................................................... ..... 34 Citizen Band Radios (CBs) .. ...... ... ......... ... ........... ....... ......... ... ... ........................ .................. ...... 34 Aerial Observation ............................................ ....... ............... ....... ....... ............................ ......... 35 Call Boxes ..... ... .......................... .................................................... .......... ... .... ........................... 35 THE POTENTIAL ROLE OF T HE INTERNET·············-················································· 36 ENDNOTES .................H .............. ...................................................... ..... ........ .... ................. ...... 39 BIBLIO·GRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 40 APPENDIX A: Summary of Traffic Count Summaries for the Hurricane Opal Evacuation, Post Opal Hurricane Evacuation Assessment............................................... 42 Traffic Count Locations ........................ ... ........ ...... ....... ............ .......... .......... ....... ................... ... 43 Traffic Count Data ................................ ........................... ........................................................ .. 44 Level of Service ..... ......................... ........................................................................................... 44 Road Construction .......... .......... .......................... ................ ... .............. ...... ........... ..................... 45 APPENDIX B: Summary of Hurricane Opal Assessmemt, Review of the Use and Value of Hurricane Evacuation Study Products in tbe Hurricane Opal Evacuation, Alabama and Florida - Octobe-r 3-4, 199S. .......................................... u •••••••••••••• ••••••••••.••• •••••••• 46. Post Hurricane Assessments .......... .................... ..