UTILIZING AN ADVANCED TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ATMS) FOR SPECIAL EVENTS

Most transportation engineers would cringe at the thought of having to move nearly one million fans in and out of a sports facility located in a residential area. But that's exactly what engineers at the City of Pasadena accomplished while sitting in an impressive high tech Traffic Management Center with big smiles and by having the time of their life. With a sophisticated Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) at their finger tips, system engineers quickly, efficiently and safely moved nearly one million soccer fans in and out of the famous Pasadena Rose Bowl during the 1994 World Cup Soccer activities. Pasadena's ATMS provided staff with the ability to use new and innovative strategies for special event management. Utilizing an advanced traffic signal system, real-time surveillance systems, motorist information systems, direct communication links with other state and local systems, and radio communications with field personnel, city staff were able to effectively manage large volumes of traffic during the World Cup Soccer events. This paper summarizes some of the planning and operational activities associated with this special event and presents some of the challenges involved in reaching this height of high tech special event management. An ATMS has many daily benefits during normal operations, peak hour traffic conditions or incidents. A significant benefit for many agencies, however, is the ability to efficiently and safely manage large volumes of traffic during major special events. An ATMS opens new doors for traffic management not previously possible. As an agency begins to use an ATMS, innovative ideas continually develop on use of the system for special event traffic management.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Full conference proceedings available only on CD.
• Corporate Authors:

  ITS America

  1100 17th Street, NW, 12th Floor
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Taavola, D J
  • Wright, S L
• Conference:
  • Intelligent Transportation: Realizing the Future. Abstracts of the Third World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems
  • Location: Orlando, Florida
  • Date: 1996-10-14 to 1996-10-18
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: n.p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Driver information systems; Highway traffic control; Intelligent transportation systems; Operations; Planning; Radio; Real time control; Special events; Traffic signals; Traffic surveillance
• Old TRIS Terms: Advanced systems; Real-time systems; Sports arena
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00741702
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 7 1997 12:00AM