Phoenix International Raceway PIR

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Phoenix International Raceway (PIR)
Traffic Management
Presented By Nicolaas Swart Traffic Engineering
ITS Program Manager Maricopa County DOT April
26, 2006
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PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
Overview

• Background
• Traffic Management
• Benefits Successes
• Lessons Learned

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BACKGROUND
Maricopa County

• 4th largest one of the fastest-growing counties
  in the nation
• More than 3 million people
• 24 cities and towns

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BACKGROUND
Phoenix International Raceway

• Southwest of Phoenix metropolitan area
• 400-acre, multi-purpose facility
• Attendance 200,000 over 3-day event 100,000 on
  the day of main event
• On-site parking for 28,000 vehicles, 4,000
  overflow
• 4,000 off-site parking park-n-ride

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BACKGROUND
Challenges

• Size and duration of events
• Reduce Travel Time to and from event
• Incident Management during event ingress and
  egress
• Reliability of traffic information to motorists
  (parking, access, etc.)
• Roadway capacity

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BACKGROUND
Challenges

• Access (freeway and arterial) - few alternate
  inbound/outbound routes

2 Hours Prior to Event
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BACKGROUND
Goals

• Improve freeway and arterial access to PIR
• Improve parking guidance and circulation
• Centralize traffic management functions
• Coordinate incident management
• Improve traveler information
• Minimize impacts on nearby neighborhoods

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Comprehensive PIR Event Management Plan

• Program Planning
• Event Operations Planning
• Implementation Activities
• Day-of-Event Activities
• Post Event Activities

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Program Planning

• Regional Level (PIR, ADOT, DPS, Cities, Sheriff,
  ALERT, REACT, PIO, ITC)
• Local Level (jurisdictions of signalized
  intersections)
• Agreements
• Permits

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Event Operations Planning

• Performance goals objectives (Attendee,
  non-attendee, transit)
• Measures of effectiveness for assessing
  performance objectives (parking, intersections,
  freeways, streets)
• Design Parameters (traffic lanes, ramp capacity,
  emergency vehicle lanes, lane capacity)

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Event Operations Planning

• Traffic Management Plan
• Site Access Parking Plan
• Traffic Flow Plan
• Traffic Control Plan
• Traveler Information Plan
• Local Resident Information Plan
• Traffic Surveillance Plan
• Incident Management Safety Plan
• Staffing Assignment Plan, Contact List
• Contingency Plan

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Implementation Activities

• Equipment
• Personnel Assignment
• Testing Verification

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Day-of-Event Activities

• Monitoring
• Unified Command
• Communications Coordination
• Manage change Adjustments (though the overall
  planned goal remains paramount)
• Media interaction
• Traveler Information Dissemination

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Post Event Activities

• Evaluation (planned framework, measure of
  effectiveness)
• Analyze surveys
• Stakeholder debriefing
• Post event plan amendments
• Recommend potential applications for future events

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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Key Features
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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Key Features Unified Command Organization
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TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Key Features Communications Plan
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BENEFITS SUCCESS

• Travel Time Savings (outbound 5.5 hours in 1998
  to 2.5 hours in 2005)
• First such application on 511
• Collaborative efforts marketing efforts (logo in
  exchange for services)
• 99 parked 1 hour before race began
• Rental Car Center Displays
• Marketing (511 on information brochures)

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LESSONS LEARNED

• Highway Advisory Radio may not work (frequency
  conflicts)
• ITS elements are good tools but cannot replace
  experienced judgment
• Dedicated Project Manager
• Involve public safety/emergency personnel early
  on
• Begin PR and media campaign early
• Conduct regularly scheduled meetings and
  debriefings with all public and private partners
• Collect data for evaluation
• Video and traffic volumes
• Plan a post-event meeting with all partners to
  review what worked, what didnt, and what to
  improve

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Phoenix International Raceway (PIR)
Traffic Management
THANK YOU
QUESTIONS?