01371196

Component

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/167060.aspx

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/167060.aspx

The State of Wisconsin partners with all counties within its borders to maintain roads to be reliable, safe, and passable in all types of conditions. To be in a constant state of readiness, the state’s Emergency Transportation Operations (ETO) plan was developed by the Wisconsin Division of Transportation System Development (DTSD) and the Division of State Patrol (DSP). The ETO Plan formalizes Wisconsin’s coordinated, performance-oriented approach to operating the transportation system during and between ETO events. An ETO event is an exceptional event that disrupts the normal flow of traffic on the Interstate or state highway network and requires an extreme response beyond normal operation and capabilities—or when the operations of a Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) business facility are disrupted. For Wisconsin, most ETO events are due to adverse weather conditions. The responsibility for monitoring conditions and communicating weather event and incident notifications, resource requests, and road closure notifications for Wisconsin DOT falls upon the Statewide Traffic Operations Center (STOC), which is manned on a 24/7/365 basis. Once storm-related winter driving conditions degrade to an emergency level, and an advisory or warning is issued by Wisconsin DOT, the STOC immediately begins providing information (where needed) to federal and state agencies, county highway and law enforcement agencies, state border agencies, various advisory agencies, freight carriers, and the media. The STOC may activate a Regional Incident Management Coordinator (an ETO plan-defined role) who is deployed on scene to help those responding to the emergency and to provide information back to the STOC for further action and updates. Acting as the communication hub during these types of severe winter weather emergency conditions, the STOC is in constant contact with the supporting agencies until the emergency status is lifted or on-scene personnel deem that their local situation is no longer hazardous. The STOC’s communication of traffic conditions also extends to the general public via the state’s 511 Travel Information website and call center, dynamic messaging signs located on major expressways, closed circuit television camera’s (CCTV) broadcasting road conditions to the web and associated television stations, and most recently, Twitter. The value of this approach to the STOC coordinating information between various agencies, while also providing information to the public, is evidenced in statistics related to the December 11–12, 2010, storm that produced nearly 20 in. of snow in some regions of Wisconsin. This midweek storm required a regional ETO response which was, per plan, communicated by the STOC in an orderly, efficient, and effective manner. The public flocked to the 511 real-time information system by phone and via the Internet to help them decide on the viability of travel during and after the storm. More than 175,000 visits were recorded to the 511 website (www.511.gov/Web) and calls to the 511 phone system skyrocketed. Television stations were able to broadcast, in real-time, the actual conditions of the roads via the STOC CCTVs, which also helps locate stranded motorists and manage related traffic incidents. The winter storm response of the STOC and Wisconsin DOT is designed to quickly and efficiently assess the need for an emergency response, coordinate communication, deploy resources, and inform the public to improve safety by alleviating or avoiding road hazards. It is also an ongoing effort that is refined and expanded as needed based on statistical information and the experience of all agencies and personnel involved in emergency responses.

01371195

WM-STW12-150A

English

p 331

2012-4

Transportation Research Circular

International Conference on Winter Maintenance and Surface Transportation Weather

Web

Closed circuit television; Emergency management; Highway operations; Maintenance management; Storms; Variable message signs; Weather conditions; Winter; Winter maintenance

511 (National Travel Information Number); Twitter

Wisconsin

Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I62: Winter Maintenance

TRIS, TRB

May 17 2012 3:00PM