Effects of Catastrophic Events on Transportation System Management and Operations Cross Cutting Study

009409082003PDFTech ReportCase studiesDecision makingDisaster preparednessDisastersDisasters and emergency operationsEarthquakesEmergenciesEmergency medical servicesEmergency response timeEmergency transportationFiresGround transportationHighway travelImpactsPublic transitRailroad transportationRailroad tunnelsSecurityTechnologyTerrorismTransportation operationsTransportation safetyTransportation system managementGeotechnologyHighwaysPlanning and ForecastingPublic TransportationRailroadsSafety and Human FactorsSecurity and EmergenciesI40: Soils and RocksI72: Traffic and Transport PlanningWisconsinUnited StatesUnited States. Joint Program Office for Intelligent Transportation SystemsDeBlasio, Allan J.John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (U.S.)United States. Federal Highway AdministrationIntelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office;Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Technical Reference CenterIn order to provide a better understanding of how transportation is both affected and utilized in an emergency situation, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) commissioned a series of four case studies examining the effects of catastrophic events on transportation system management and operations. Each of the case studies examined a specific event and the regional response. This cross cutting study summarizes the surface transportation activities associated with four catastrophic events and the lessons learned from each. Each of the events resulted in substantial, immediate, and adverse impacts on the transportation system, and each has had a varying degree of influence on the longer-term operation of transportation facilities and services in its respective region. This document has two main sections. The first section provides an overview of each of the four case studies. This overview includes a chronology of key events on the day of and days after the disaster, a description of the affected area, a description of key decisions taken by agencies, and a brief description of conditions in the months following the event. The four case studies are: 1. New York City terrorist attack on September 11, 2001; 2. Washington, D.C. terrorist attack on September 11, 2001; 3. Baltimore, Maryland Howard Street rail tunnel fire on July 18, 2001; and 4. Northridge, California earthquake on January 18, 1994. The second section discusses findings that cut across the four case studies. Each of the four events presented transportation and emergency response agencies with a different set of challenges in dealing with response and recovery. This section includes an assessment of the following key questions: How well were the key participants prepared? What happened and who took action? What aspects of the emergency response worked well and why, and what aspects did not work well and why? What role did technology play in these aspects with respect to transportation emergency response and recovery? What was learned, what could be done differently, and what can be incorporated into the disaster planning process?74