01023151

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/1959-13

http://scholar.google.com...rout&publication_year=2006

The Texas Department of Transportation wanted to expand its dynamic message sign (DMS) design and display manual to include information related to Amber alerts and specific major catastrophes. Focus groups were conducted in six Texas cities to obtain initial responses from drivers concerning information needs and to help develop messages for further study. In Amber alert situations, there was no consensus as to which descriptor would best convey that a child had been abducted. The descriptors “Amber alert,” “kidnapped,” and “abducted” implied a sense of danger or urgency that would be appropriate to the situation. Additionally, participants were not able to recall license plate or phone numbers easily after having viewed a message for 8 s. Participants were split as to whether they would continue to drive if the message “flooded” were displayed on a DMS. The consensus of those who would continue driving was that the message should include information regarding the location of the flooding or an exit to take. Also, no consensus was found for a term describing this situation, although “flooded” was used in messages designed by five of the six groups. For both hurricanes and terrorist attacks, the information needs identified far exceed what can be accommodated via DMS. However, the information needs cited provide valuable insight into the perspectives of motorists during evacuation and disaster situations. This information should be considered along with situational perspective and engineering judgment to determine how it could be used for an event.

01036675

English

pp 114-121

2006

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

0309099684

Print

References (3) ; Tables (9)

Communication systems; Evacuation; Focus groups; Information display systems; Information technology; Manuals; Messages (Communications); Terrorism; Variable message signs

AMBER Alert; Texas Department of Transportation

Catastrophic events

Texas

Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Security and Emergencies; I73: Traffic Control

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Mar 3 2006 10:30AM

• Assessing Weather, Environment, and Loop Data for Real-Time Freeway Incident Prediction
• Automated Adaptive Traffic Corridor Control Using Reinforcement Learning: Approach and Case Studies
• Components of Congestion: Delay from Incidents, Special Events, Lane Closures, Weather, Potential Ramp Metering Gain, and Excess Demand
• Comprehensive Evaluation of New Integrated Freeway Ramp Control Strategy
• Developments and Applications of Simulation-Based Online Travel Time Prediction System: Traveling to Ocean City, Maryland
• Estimation of Incident Delay and Its Uncertainty on Freeway Networks
• Feasibility Assessment of Metropolitan High-Occupancy Toll Lane Network in Atlanta, Georgia
• Flashing Message Features on Changeable Message Signs
• Improving Minnesota's Stratified Ramp Control Strategy
• Operational Effect of Single-Occupant Hybrid Vehicles in High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes
• Real-Time Estimation of Critical Occupancy for Maximum Motorway Throughput
• Safety Evaluation of Buffer-Separated High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes in Texas
• Set of New Traffic-Responsive Ramp-Metering Algorithms and Microscopic Simulation Results
• Transportation and Emergency Services: Identifying Critical Interfaces, Obstacles, and Opportunities
• Using Real-Life Dual-Loop Detector Data to Develop New Methodology for Estimating Freeway Travel Time Reliability
• Using Risk Analysis to Prioritize Intelligent Transport Systems: Variable Message Sign Case Study in Gold Coast City, Australia
• Validating Dynamic Message Sign Freeway Travel Time Messages with Ground Truth Geospatial Data
• Video Incident Detection Tests in Freeway Tunnels