FIRST Program Evaluation

The Freeway Incident Response Safety Team (FIRST) is an incident management measure designed to assist disabled vehicles along congested freeway segments and relieve peak period non-recurrent congestion through quick detection, verification, and removal of freeway incidents. The primary purpose of the FIRST Program is to alleviate congestion and to prevent secondary crashes. This report evaluates the activities of Mn/DOT’s FIRST Program to determine the cost effectiveness of the program. This was done by researching similar programs and evaluating congestion reduction environmental impacts and improved safety through secondary crash reduction. To evaluate the program, information and data was collected and researched by the following methods: (1) Interviewing FIRST staff and the Minnesota State Patrol; (2) Review of operations of other freeway service patrols around the United States; (3) Observation of operations at the FIRST Dispatch Center located at the Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC); (4) “Ride Alongs” with FIRST personnel throughout the FIRST coverage area; (5) Simulation modeling; (6) Review of crash data; and (7) Development of a benefit/cost (B/C) analysis. From this data, analysis was done to determine the monetary benefits of the FIRST Program. The previous benefit estimate in 2000 was $2.73 million, which consisted only of delay and fuel consumption. The total program benefit in 2003 is estimated at $16.62 million. This increase is due to several factors, including the addition of emissions measures and the general expansion of the program, but most of the increase is due to the inclusion of the secondary crash reduction benefit. Mn/DOT expenditure and budget data provides an estimate of the annual cost of the FIRST Program. The cost items include staff, vehicles (including annualized depreciation), associated equipment, operating and maintenance costs, facilities, supplies, utilities, computers, communications, and other equipment.

• Corporate Authors:

  ITS America

  1100 17th Street, NW, 12th Floor
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Sohrweide, Thomas A
• Conference:
  • 12th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems
  • Location: San Francisco California, United States
  • Date: 2005-11-6 to 2005-11-10
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: CD-ROM; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 26p
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the 12th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Cost effectiveness; Data collection; Development; Emergency response time; Freeway operations; Incident detection; Regional transportation; Simulation; Traffic congestion
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01015919
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 21 2005 1:33PM