2013 Session: 514

• Improving Transportation Resource Coordination for Multimodal Evacuation Planning: Literature Review and Research Agenda
  Abstract: In a large-scale urban evacuation necessitated by a disaster, many can self-evacuate in private automobiles, but evacuating “carless” individuals and families poses a great logistical challenge that many cities, counties, and states cannot meet. A majority of emergency operations plans for large urbanized areas are insufficient in describing in specific and measurable terms how a major evacuation could be conducted successfully. This study first systematically reviews the challenge of multi-modal evacuation planning and next presents a detailed literature review of published research and government documents to identify barriers to improving multi-modal evacuation planning using high-capacity vehicles to transport those who cannot self-evacuate. Findings suggest that, despite a body of research on multi-modal transportation and the importance of integrating it into evacuation planning, most state and local governments do not have adequate planning processes, training, and exercises to evacuate households without automobiles. A research agenda about multi-modal evacuation planning is outlined, and a new volunteer-driven community-supported evacuation organization is suggested.
  Authors: Hess, Daniel Baldwin; Conley, Brian W.; Farrell, Christina M.
  Authors: Hess, Daniel Baldwin; Conley, Brian W.; Farrell, Christina M.
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-2084
• No-Notice Evacuation Management: Ramp Closures Under Varying Budgets and Demand Scenarios
  Abstract: To promote smoother freeway traffic flow during evacuations, ramps may be closed, reducing the number of merging and related speed reduction points. Deciding which ramps to close can be treated as an optimization problem where the decision variables are integers indicating whether the ramp is open or closed. This paper examines the problem under multiple demand and budget scenarios for no-notice evacuations. Through the optimization formulation and solution method, optimized closure plans are developed for each scenario and compared to the “do-nothing” and an existing plan developed with professional judgment. The optimized plans outperform the others in terms of the evacuees’ total travel time but are sometimes associated with decreases in overall network throughput. Three ramp closures, consistent across the scenarios, are explored as a reduced closure plan and evacuee benefits are identified for all of the scenarios over the “do-nothing” option except in the most congested background traffic scenario. However, even in the most congested case, the 3-ramp closure plan improved evacuees’ travel times over the plan developed without analytical and simulation support. While the exact optimized ramp closure plan varies across scenarios and budgets, overlap of the plans can help generate a smaller closure plan that provides benefits over strictly judgment based plans and over the “do-nothing” option in less congested cases.
  Authors: Ghanipoor Machiani, Sahar; Murray-Tuite, Pamela; Jahangiri, Arash; Liu, Sirui; Park, Byungkyu (Brian); Chiu, Yi-Chang; Wolshon, Brian
  Authors: Ghanipoor Machiani, Sahar; Murray-Tuite, Pamela; Jahangiri, Arash; Liu, Sirui; Park, Byungkyu (Brian); Chiu, Yi-Chang; Wolshon, Brian
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-3003
• Learning from Crisis: Transit Evacuation in Honolulu, Hawaii, Following Tsunamis
  Abstract: The major transit agency in Honolulu, Oahu’s Transit Services, Inc. also known as the “TheBus” implemented emergency evacuation procedures following tsunamis triggered by earthquakes in Chile (2010) and in Japan (2011). While in both cases, the amount of damage in Hawaii was minimal, the experience produced important lessons related to emergency operations. Following a brief description of the events and a description of the transit agency and its procedures for emergency evacuation, the important lessons for Honolulu as well as other cities with bus transit operations concerned about evacuation are described. In addition to the importance of standard operating procedures that have been well documented and disseminated, it is also critical to conduct after-action reports to ensure that key problems and challenges are identified, that potential solutions are generated, discussed and implemented, and organizational learning occurs. The importance of training and experience at all levels is important, but creating an ethos of public service and professionalism are essential to effective disaster response. While the lessons are applicable to tsunamis in Hawaii, they are also potentially valuable for other types of hazards in other locations.
  Authors: Kim, Karl; Yamashita, Eric Yukio; Burke, James; Ghimire, Jiwnath; Morikawa, Lydia; Kobayashi, LeeAnna
  Authors: Kim, Karl; Yamashita, Eric Yukio; Burke, James; Ghimire, Jiwnath; Morikawa, Lydia; Kobayashi, LeeAnna
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-4819
• Roundabout Performance Evaluation in a Network Evacuation: Case of Intelligent Decomposed Network Simulations
  Abstract: This paper presents a methodology to simplify network performance evaluations during hurricane evacuations. The approach offered here is geared towards traffic planners in small towns who have to deal with such scenarios. In such settings, roundabouts are usually among favorite intersection control types. Roundabouts usually operate in low volume traffic areas, while high traffic volumes are expected during evacuation. This paper develops a framework to evaluate the traffic impacts of evacuations in roundabouts within a network. A methodology based on relaxed discrete network design problem is presented along with a decomposition approach to simplify the solution strategy. Two volume adjustment strategies are proposed to maintain the interactions of neighboring intersection while taking advantage of simplicity of traffic analysis at isolated intersections. The case study based on a sub-network of the city of Newark in Delaware is presented. Discussions on applicability and future directions of this research are provided.
  Authors: Eshragh, Sepideh; Faghri, Ardeshir; DuRoss, Michael
  Authors: Eshragh, Sepideh; Faghri, Ardeshir; DuRoss, Michael
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-5106
• Improving Transportation Resource Coordination for Multimodal Evacuation Planning: Literature Review and Research Agenda
  Authors: Hess, Daniel
  Authors: Hess, Daniel
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-2084
• No-Notice Evacuation Management: Ramp Closures Under Varying Budgets and Demand Scenarios
  Authors: Ghanipoor Machiani, Sahar
  Authors: Ghanipoor Machiani, Sahar
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-3003
• Roundabout Performance Evaluation in a Network Evacuation: Case of Intelligent Decomposed Network Simulations
  Authors: Eshragh, Sepideh
  Authors: Eshragh, Sepideh
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-5106
• Learning from Crisis: Transit Evacuation in Honolulu, Hawaii, Following Tsunamis
  Authors: Kim, Karl
  Authors: Kim, Karl
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies
  Session: 514
  Paper Number: 13-4819