Define a Statewide Plan for a Sustainable Real-Time Travel Time Network for Texas Hurricane Evacuations and Safe Citizen Return – Final Report

Texas coastal areas are prone to hurricanes, which pose a threat to life, public safety, and critical infrastructure. Mass evacuation can be ordered to relocate residents to safety areas in advance of a hurricane. Access to accurate real-time traffic information can aid public agencies with evacuation operations and evacuees with decision making. To ensure that the Texas Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) can sufficiently assist with evacuation travel, this study examines the existing state of the system and proposes methods that can be used to study potential ITS expansion. A detailed survey was conducted amongst Texas residents to understand how they use real-time traffic information during evacuations. A hurricane evacuation study simulation was implemented to identify critical links in the evacuation roadway network that may benefit from ITS device deployments. Asset management methods were employed to prioritize ITS device location alternatives, and a life cycle cost assessment was performed to estimate the installation and maintenance costs of devices under various scenarios. Finally, recommendations are provided to enhance the resilience of the information transfer system. The findings of this study provide Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) with a better understanding of the existing issues regarding a real-time traffic monitoring system during evacuations and provide methods that can be used to develop a comprehensive plan for improving ITS capabilities on evacuation routes in Texas.

• Record URL:
  • https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/ctr-publications/0-7123-1.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/Presto/catalogid=42506
• Summary URL:
  • https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/Presto/catalogid=42505
• Summary URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/77207
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/77165
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Report submitted January 2024, published August 2024.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Texas, Austin

  Center for Transportation Research
  3925 W. Braker Lane, 4th Floor
  Austin, TX  United States  78759

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Implementation Division
  Austin, TX  United States 

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Bathgate, Kyle
  • Xu, Lu
  • Jiang, Kangni
  • Sun, Jingran
  • Robbennolt, Jake
  • Pan, Shidong
  • Han, Zhe
  • Murphy, Michael
  • Boyles, Stephen
  • Zhang, Zhanmin
  • Machemehl, Randy
• Publication Date: 2024-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 152p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Disaster preparedness; Evacuation; Hurricanes; Intelligent transportation systems; Life cycle analysis; Real time information; Strategic planning; Traffic surveillance
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01929482
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-24/0-7123-1, 0-7123-1
• Contract Numbers: 0-7123
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 4 2024 5:08PM