Bay Area's 511 Emergency Response Planning and Tools

This paper describes the 511 telephone number, which has been used as a successful traveler information system in the San Francisco Bay Area (California) since the telephone number was adopted and launched in 2002. The authors note that, over the years, 511 has placed more emphasis on emergency planning and response as the usage of 511 has increased during emergencies, both on the phone and web. The usage of the 511 phone and web systems spikes in response to major incidents and emergencies. The authors review the enhancements that have been made to 511 and 511.org in order to overcome the operating challenges during emergencies and to better serve Bay Area residents during emergencies. The authors describe the California Department of Transportation's (Caltrans’) classification system for incidents/emergencies, which determine how the 511 operations staff responds to the emergency including which emergency response tools are activated. Emergency Response Level 1 includes minor incidents such as a vehicle blocking a highway, a hazardous material spill that is isolated to a small area, trees are down across a roadway or small mudslides. Emergency Response Level 2 incidents are moderate and include major hazardous spills requiring road closure and evacuation, road closures due to slides, localized flooding or other storm damage, minor earthquakes, or wildlands fires. Typical transit incidents considered Level 2 would be an agency-wide disruption such as a BART strike or a traffic incident which require regional coordination of transit agencies. Emergency Response Level 3 incidents are severe, such as major earthquakes, regional flooding, storm damage or terrorist attacks. The paper describes the Emergency Abbreviated Systems (website and telephone based) that are implemented during Level 2 and Level 3 emergencies.

• Corporate Authors:

  ITS America

  1100 17th Street, NW, 12th Floor
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Banner, Janet
  • Kuester, Carol
• Conference:
  • 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems and ITS America's 2008 Annual Meeting
  • Location: New York NY, United States
  • Date: 2008-11-16 to 2008-11-20
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos;
• Pagination: 11p
• Monograph Title: ITS Connections: Saving Time. Saving Lives

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced traveler information systems; Detours; Disaster preparedness; Disasters and emergency operations; Emergency management; Intelligent transportation systems; Street closure; Terrorism; Traffic congestion; Transit operating agencies; Traveler information and communication systems; Websites
• Identifier Terms: 511 (National Travel Information Number)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transportation infrastructure
• Geographic Terms: California
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation; Security and Emergencies; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01138591
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 19 2009 1:49PM