Traffic Incident Management Newsletter Alachua/Bradford TIM Team SECOND QUARTER 2014

Transcription

1 Traffic Incident Management Newsletter Alachua/Bradford TIM Team SECOND QUARTER 2014 TEAM UPDATE Page 1 2 TMC UPDATE Page 3 4 FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE Page 5 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT UPDATE Page 6 7 FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL UPDATE Page 8 9 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE Page 10 12

2 Team Update it s great to be back PAGE 1 Never have I been so happy to write a note to place in our Alachua-Bradford Newsletter as I am this edition. Being out of the office due to surgery has made me realize even more how blessed I am to be associated with and work with such reliable, hardworking and cooperative people. Our Team members do not hesitate to work together as a Team to accomplish the duties needed to keep our highways safe for motorists and incident responders. One thing I have always stressed is communication in every aspect of the situations we encounter, and the last few months have certainly shown we understand the meaning of TEAMWORK. Isn t it refreshing to work with other agencies without anyone wanting to be a self-standing hero and try to take credit for the accomplishments of our Team? Our Team members realize our jobs are a lot easier if we communicate and work WITH each other. This is the main reason for our quick clearance, continued growth and continued high scores on the FHWA Traffic Incident Management Team Assessments. That being said, another thing that makes our Team successful is the fact we all remember we can continue to learn. From the information we receive from each other at our Team incident debriefs to our structured FHWA SHRP 2 Training, we always gain knowledge and experience. I would like to thank all of you for not missing me as far as continuing the excellent incident management of our area. One thing we need to remember is we are now officially in Hurricane Season. If you feel any need for training, please contact Craig Carnes: ccarnes@metriceng.com and he will schedule a training to fit the needs of your agency. MISSION: The Florida Department of Transportation District Two s Traffic Incident Management Teams through partnering efforts strive to continuously reduce incident scene clearance times to deter congestion and improve safety. The Teams objective is to exceed the Open Roads Policy thus ensuring mobility, economic prosperity, and quality of life. VISION: Through cooperation, communication and training the Teams intend to reduce incident scene clearance times by 10 percent each year through Donna R. Danson DISTRICT TWO ITS PROJECT MANAGER FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

3 Happy Birthday to Us! PAGE 2 July 1 will be the one year anniversary of DBI Services performing our maintenance responsibilities on I-75, and the six month anniversary of Roy Jorgensen Associates performing our maintenance responsibilities in Bradford County under asset maintenance contracts with Florida Department of Transportation. From my perspective, both contracts have been highly successful. Asset maintenance contracts are not new to the area; the District Two rest areas, weigh stations and welcome centers and the Jacksonville area highways have been performed by asset maintenance contracts for years. Both Jorgensen and DBI have other contracts in Jacksonville, so they have an established, positive reputation and working relationship with District Two. These two contracts are just our first experiences with administering asset maintenance contracts. What does this mean to our incident team partners? The transition was intended to be seamless, and for the most part, I believe it has been. Hopefully, other than the logos and uniforms, the only difference are the different phone numbers provided below that you may call to receive the same services you have come to know and expect: DBI Services for I-75: (for routine work during business hours) (after hours/emergency response) Roy Jorgensen Associates for Bradford County: (24-hour contact number) Yes, there have been small learning curves as we experience with any new employee or contract while they become familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the area. Both contractors have responded well to major accidents or environmental conditions that have required difficult maintenance of traffic setups. These included routing traffic off the interstate onto established diversion routes or routing traffic around simultaneous closures of State Road 100 and State Road 230 in Starke for an extended period. Both contractors were active contributors to the development of District Two s contingency plan for responding to icing conditions, drawing on their expertise acquired in other regions for the best management practices and technologies for preventing or controlling roadway icing conditions. At the one-year point, we have formed a good relationship with our asset maintenance partners, and things are going well with a bright outlook for the future. This also allows me to focus my remaining resources on other areas needing our attention. Thank you for continuing to work with us while we made this transition, and we all look forward to continue working with you in the future! Steve Scanlan FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

4 Traffic Management Center activities PAGE 3 The Traffic Management Center (TMC) is a jointly funded project by the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, University of Florida and Florida Department of Transportation. It is operated by the City of Gainesville. In the recent months FDOT, Alachua County and the City of Gainesville have worked on maintaining and improving roadways in the area. This has caused reoccurring and widespread lane closures and detours throughout the city. In addition to temporary lane closures for milling, resurfacing and inlet repairs, some closures have been more extensive. The Gainesville TMC has performed real-time signal timing modifications to handle altered lane configurations and additional demand caused by the replacement of the CSX rail crossing at U.S. 441 at State Road 121, emergency sewer repair on West Sixth Street at State Road 26, the signal replacement with roundabout at South Depot Avenue at Main Street and an emergency road closure for a settlement problem just south of State Road 222 at State Road 24. Through Facebook, Twitter, WRUF-TV and the GAC-SmarTraffic.com site, the Gainesville TMC was able to efficiently manage these incidents while also informing the public to help drivers avoid the area. Events like the NHRA Gatornationals, which bring to the City of Gainesville 100,000+ attendees over four days, cause some significant congestion issues. With cooperation and coordination with the Alachua County Sheriff s Office, the Gainesville TMC helped move the thousands of spectators from the Gainesville Raceway through the city and back to the interstate. Although impacts may not have been as critical, the Gainesville TMC also assisted the Gainesville Police Department with events like the Lauren s Kids - Walk In My Shoes and Law Enforcement Torch Run charity walk/run by providing priority signalization to keep volunteers moving along their route and ensure their safety. May 2 was a big day for many as a University of Florida graduation day, however with severe weather and additional out-of-town drivers in Gainesville, it became a perfect storm. The inclement weather saturated the ground and made the roadways slick. As a result, State Road 26 was closed at two points near the University as a large oak tree fell onto the roadway and a multiple-vehicle crash blocked all lanes for over two hours. Before State Road 26 could be cleared, travelers were beginning to make their way to Gainesville, and a quick rain led to an eight-vehicle pileup on southbound I-75 at mile marker 383. The incident involved several passenger vehicles and one semi-truck that leaked fuel. With the severity of the crash, all southbound lanes were closed until responders arrived and a lane was opened. For one hour and forty minutes all southbound traffic was restricted to one lane. With heavy traffic continuously adding to the congestion, traffic quickly piled on and reached an almost stand-still for nearly seven miles. In addition to the southbound congestion many northbound drivers, intrigued by the southbound crash, slammed on their brakes to view the crash resulting in four miles of northbound congestion on I-75 with no lane closures. With drivers stuck in traffic, the Gainesville TMC helped to keep emergency responders aware of current traffic conditions with the use of interstate traffic cameras. TMC operators remotely provided additional green time for off ramps to prevent additional back up and modified the system to handle the unexpected demand.

5 Traffic Management Center activities continued PAGE 4 At approximately 10:40 a.m., May 8, a driver crashed their vehicle into the signal pole on the southwest corner of Northwest 23 rd Avenue at 51 st Street. The pole collapsed on the vehicle and brought down with it the signal heads for the southbound and westbound approaches. With the pole lying on top of the vehicle and signal cable strung across the roadway, the intersection had to be shut down while the incident was worked. Thanks to the ability to see and assess the situation from traffic cameras and continued communication with Gainesville Police Department and Gainesville Regional Utilities, traffic was quickly maintained and rerouted while a temporary signal pole was installed. Even with the complete collapse and replacement of the southwest signal pole, the intersection was completely reopened and the signal was back up and running within six hours of the incident. QUESTIONS? Traffic Management Center (352) Monday through Friday Hours of Operation: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Twitter) Gainesville / Alachua County Smartraffic (Like us on Facebook!)

6 Using fire in Forestry PAGE 5 Humans have used fire from the time they first set foot in what is now Florida. The use of fire by Native Americans for agricultural purposes, to enhance wildfire habitat, to stimulate berry production, and to open up the woods around their villages for protection from enemies and wildfire is well documented. The ability of fire to achieve these objectives is attested to by the fact that succeeding cultures all quickly adopted this practice expanding both the reasons for and acreage treated with fire. Fire continues to be a prime natural resource management tool, but its application has gotten much more complicated as Florida s population has transformed over the last 50 years as people and smoke do not mix well. In 2012, 2,647,590 acres were treated with prescribed fire in Florida. Hazard reduction and ecosystem restoration/maintenance burns dominated this acreage with 1,445,841 acres treated. The remainder of the acres referenced above fall into the categories of land clearing, agriculture, and the burning of wild lands for purposes like disease control, site preparation and wildlife. The upward trend in acres treated over the past several decades suggests prescribed fire use in Florida will continue to increase into the foreseeable future. Additionally, fire is used in Florida to accomplish numerous other objectives including the management of range, sugar cane, citrus, timber, flora and fauna to name a few. The Florida certification of the updated Smoke Management Plan (SMP) will help provide a blueprint for Florida burn managers to use on prescribed fires and wildfires. The purposes of the Florida SMP are to mitigate public safety hazards (e.g. on roadways, in urban and exurban areas, and in the vicinity of airports) posed by smoke. For more information on burning or wildfires, go to our website floridaforestservice.com. Jamie Rittenhouse ALACHUA COUNTY FOREST AREA SUPERVISOR FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER SERVICES

7 Emergency Operations Update REASONING WITH HURRICANE SEASON ON WITH THE SHOW! PAGE 6 There has been so much going on since the last article, I don t even know where to begin. Both the National Hurricane Conference and the Florida Governor s Hurricane Conference were held in Orlando. Thousands of participants attended both conferences. These conferences offer opportunities to take training and attend general sessions and a multitude of workshops. All of the counties within our area have been conducting prehurricane season exercises and workshops. While all of these happenings could more than fill up my section of the newsletter, I want to focus on another area for this writing. The 50 th Anniversary of Hurricane Dora Hurricane Dora made landfall in St. Augustine on Sept. 9, 1964 as a strong Category 2 storm. The eye of Dora entered St. Augustine between midnight and 1 a.m. on Sept. 10. This was the first time in over 80 years that the First Coast area had felt hurricane force winds. Once ashore, Dora moved straight across the state through Clay, Bradford, Union, Columbia, Suwannee, Lafayette and Taylor counties. Exiting Taylor County, Dora made a northeasterly loop through Jefferson, Leon, Gadsden and Jackson counties then headed east through Georgia and South Carolina exiting back into the Atlantic Ocean. Dora was one of four hurricanes to make landfall in Abby occurred in early August affecting mainly Texas. Cleo had just skirted up the east coast a few days before Dora came along. Hilda and Isbell were October storms. Hilda made landfall in Louisiana, exiting through Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. Isbell entered Florida around Naples, exited north of Ft. Lauderdale and made landfall again in the New England area HURRICANE DORA INFORMATION SHEET

8 Emergency Operations Update continued PAGE 7 Hurricane Dora was a strong Category 3 hurricane with winds of almost 130 mph while she was in the open ocean. Dora weakened to a strong Category 2 hurricane before landfall with winds just below 110 mph. Dora s forward movement slowed down before landfall which created a worse effect. The slower movement caused much higher tides with stronger wave action. The slower movement also generated greater amounts of rainfall. It was reported that the Town of Mayo in Lafayette County received over 23 inches of rain from Dora. Hurricane Dora caused $280 million in damages equating to over $2 billion in today s dollars. A hurricane hasn t made landfall in the First Coast area since Hurricane Dora. There most likely will be another one someday. With that in mind, some things to consider include: The amount of damage caused by Dora There was no town of Ponte Vedra in 1964 and that area alone is worth more today than the $280 million in damages Dora caused There were no high-rise hotels, condominiums or million dollar homes on the beaches in 1964 There are thousands of businesses located in the area now that weren t there in 1964 If a storm the magnitude of Dora made landfall in St. Augustine today, it would most likely be the magnitude of an Andrew, Katrina, or worse Just because our TIM Team covers inland Counties, don t think we would get off easy. Remember, I mentioned over 23 inches of rain in Mayo. Suwannee County was flooded for several weeks after Dora. You may recall how much damage we had from flooding from Tropical Storm Debby. We cannot get complacent and think it is only the coastal areas that will suffer the damage of a hurricane. Yes, they will suffer the most damaging winds and storm surge, but we will also feel major effects. Just so I don t leave you with the feeling of gloom and doom, there was a bright side to the aftermath of Hurricane Dora. The Beatles were scheduled to perform in Jacksonville at the Gator Bowl on Sept. 11, Thousands of tickets had been sold for the enormous amount of five dollars. The airport in Jacksonville was closed, so they went to Key West to wait for Dora to pass. Fortunately, even in 1964 the Gator Bowl was provided power by underground power lines. As I have always been told, The show must go on. And, so it did. The Beatles made the show and performed for over 23,000 fans in the Gator Bowl. Until next time, stay safe. Ed Ward DISTRICT TWO EMERGENCY COORDINATION OFFICER FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

9 Florida Highway Patrol Update COME ON FLORIDA LET S BE A BUCKLE UP STATE PAGE 8 Seatbelts save lives Are you buckled up? It s the end of another school year. With holiday weekends and the unofficial start of the summer vacation season, that means a lot of families are hitting the road for some summer fun. The Florida Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to make sure everyone is buckled up when riding in a vehicle. To help drive home the message, FHP participated in the national Click It or Ticket campaign that ran through June 1. The campaign is about saving lives said Col. David Brierton, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. It is important to teach our children that a seatbelt is the best safety feature in a vehicle. Recent surveys indicated that nearly 90 percent of drivers and passengers on Florida roads use their seatbelts routinely. That is great news and means thousands of lives have been saved by wearing seatbelts across the nation every year. Remember, Florida law requires the use of seatbelts by drivers, passengers in the front seat and all children under the age of 18 in a motor vehicle. FHP offers the following tips to help you and your family arrive at your destination safely: Buckle up every time. A seatbelt is your vehicle s best safety feature. Make sure your passengers are also buckled up. Obey all speed limits, bearing in mind that traffic congestion may require driving more slowly. Don t drive distracted. Anything that takes your full attention off the road, even for a second, could be deadly. This includes texting, changed the radio station, talking to passengers, etc. Get plenty of rest before setting out on a long trip. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles provides highway safety and security through excellence in service, education and enforcement. The Department is leading the way to a safer Florida through the efficient and professional execution of its core mission: the issuance of driver licenses, vehicle tags and titles and operation of the Florida Highway Patrol. To learn more about DHSMV and the services offered, visit follow us on or find us on Facebook.

10 Florida Highway Patrol Update - continued DHSMV HOSTS THE 4 TH ANNUAL FLORIDA EMPLOYER SUPPORT FOR THE GUARD AND RESERVE DAY PAGE 9 The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles sponsored the 4 th annual Florida Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve Day (ESGR) May 22, The event was held at eight locations throughout the state (Tallahassee, Orlando, Pensacola, Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach and Ft. Myers), which provided an opportunity for state and local government officials and civic and business leaders to sign a Statement of Support with the U.S. Department of Defense to pledge support for the men and women of the Guard and Reserve. ESGR is a Department of Defense office, established in 1972, to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee s military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 4,900 volunteers in 54 communities located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam-CNMI, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Volunteers from small business and industry, government, education and prior military service bring a vast wealth of experience to assist in serving employers, Service members and their families. The Statement of Support is a document affirming ongoing support for the men and women of the Guard and Reserve and pledging continued adherence to Federal law in terms of the employee s Guard/Reserve duty. Generally it states: We fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). We will provide our managers and supervisors with the tools they need to effectively manage those employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve. We appreciate the values, leadership and unique skills Service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to employ Guardsmen, Reservists and Veterans. We will continually recognize and support our country s Service members and their families in peace, in crisis and in war. By hosting the public signing ceremonies, ESGR hopes to create more awareness of the need to support our men and women that serve our country in the Guard and Reserve. COLONEL DAVID BRIERTON AND HSMY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TERRY RHODES SIGN A STATEMENT OF SUPPORT. Captain Coby D. Fincher FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAY SAFETY & MOTOR VEHICLES

11 Construction Update PAGE 10 Currently, there are three significant road construction projects underway that, when completed, will help improve travel conditions in several areas of Alachua County. The I-75 and U.S. 441 ITS project An Intelligent Transportation System designed to alert motorists of hazardous travel conditions is being installed on Interstate 75 and U.S. 441 through Paynes Prairie. Construction on the $2.1 million project began in February and is estimated to be completed in winter Large dynamic message signs (DMS) extending over the roadway will provide advanced warning to motorists when traffic congestion or low visibility is present on I-75 and U.S The messages will alert motorists to use caution or use an alternate route. In addition to the DMS, closed-circuit television cameras, vehicle detection devices, visibility sensors and thermal cameras are being installed to provide a system designed to alert motorists of deteriorating driving conditions or special circumstances in the area. ITS equipment being installed on I-75 between the Marion County line and Archer Road includes: Three DMS, two approaching the Prairie along the northbound lanes and one along the southbound lanes Twelve closed-circuit television cameras approximately every mile that will allow Gainesville Traffic Management Center (TMC) staff to monitor the weather conditions on the Prairie and relay alerts to the message signs Eight visibility sensors throughout the Prairie to measure the visibility, provide appropriate messages and alert officials if visibility drops below a threshold, initially set at one mile Eighteen vehicle detectors approximately each mile up to the Prairie and then each half mile through the Prairie to monitor the traffic flow including speed and volume One thermal camera in the center of the Prairie which will allow TMC staff to monitor conditions during heavy fog ITS equipment being installed on U.S. 441 between Southwest 63 rd Avenue and Southwest 109 th Place include: Two DMS, one at each end of the Prairie Three closed-circuit television cameras Four visibility sensors to cover the Prairie Three vehicle detectors along the project One thermal camera in the center of the Prairie AN EXAMPLE OF A DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGN WHICH WILL BE INSTALLED ON THE PROJECT.

12 Construction Update - continued PAGE 11 The I-75/U.S. 441 at Exit 399 interchange improvement project This $8.2 million safety improvement project is designed to help ease traffic congestion and create safer roadway access for interstate travelers and local traffic. Construction began in December 2013 and should finish in winter Construction on the southbound I-75 entrance ramp is currently underway. The project includes: Adding a new southbound I-75 entrance ramp and a dedicated turn lane on the southbound I-75 exit ramp for southbound U.S. 441 traffic Removing the existing southbound I-75 entrance ramp for southbound U.S. 441 traffic Removing the left turn lane on southbound U.S. 441 at the southbound I-75 entrance ramp Constructing a new park and ride lot next to the new I-75 entrance ramp Replacing eight high mast lighting poles at the interchange. PART OF CONSTRUCTING THE NEW ENTRANCE RAMP INVOLVES THE INSTALLATION OF MECHANICAL STABILIZATION EARTH (MSE) WALLS.

13 Construction Update continued PAGE 12 The U.S. 441 resurfacing project in Alachua and Gainesville For those of you who drive U.S. 441 between Alachua and Gainesville, you ve no doubt driven through the resurfacing project work zone which runs from Northwest Sixth Street to the County Road 2054 overpass in Alachua (approximately 11 miles). Project construction to remove and replace up to three inches of asphalt began March 18 and should finish late this year at a cost of $8.8 million. The repaving is being done in two layers with the last layer coming at the conclusion of the project. Other construction activities include widening the right turn lanes to provide a continuous bicycle lane along the roadway, designating the existing paved shoulder as a bicycle lane, widening the existing sidewalk from Northwest Sixth Street to approximately a tenth of a mile south to provide a ten foot bike path, replacing traffic signal sensors at Northwest 53rd Avenue, Northwest 34th Street and Northwest 43rd Street and modifying drainage. Other news in Alachua County: The concrete rehabilitation project on State Road 24 in Waldo is completed. Railroad crossings on State Road 121 in Gainesville, U.S. 41 in High Springs and U.S. 301 in Hawthorne were replaced. New sidewalks are planned for U.S. 301 in Waldo and State Road 121 from Northside Park to U.S. 441 in Gainesville. Monica Reifeiss & Rebecca L.White FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE/ATKINS