Special events at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) represent some of the largest patron-attended events in Phoenix, Arizona. While PIR hosts several events each year, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series races in the fall draw nearly 150,000 fans over the three-day race weekend. The fall NASCAR races pose several problems for the Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) traffic management team and for the patrons who are trying to make their way to the race facilities. Limited freeway and arterial access to the racetrack cause significant congestion and bottlenecks on key routes leading to the facility, and there are few alternate routes for event patrons or nearby residents to use. Incident management during these events also is problematic, primarily during periods of peak congestion. There is inconsistent traffic condition information from a variety of sources that is broadcast to motorists heading to the racetrack. This includes access, routes, and parking availability, and with so many sources, it is difficult to provide motorists with accurate and consistent information about roadway condition status. In 1998, MCDOT spearheaded a collaborative effort among local traffic management agencies, public safety agencies, PIR and the consultant team of Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to conduct a study and develop strategies to improve traffic management during large-scale race events at PIR. Strategies that were identified and implemented included Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies as well as enhanced coordination of local resources. Specific objectives for the PIR event traffic management program were to: (1) Improve arterial and freeway access to the event; (2) Improve parking guidance and internal circulation; (3) Increase automation of traffic control; (4) Centralize traffic management functions; (5) Develop a coordinated incident management plan; (6) Improve static and changeable signage on event routes; (7) Minimize the impacts on nearby residential traffic; and (8) Coordinate with the local media to provide consistent information to motorists and patrons. The Event Traffic Management System was implemented as a Pilot Deployment for the November 1999 NASCAR race weekend. Based on the success of the Pilot Deployment, the initial strategies were enhanced and expanded for the 2000 race to include additional technologies, resources, and tools for coordinated management. The success of the strategies implemented for PIR was the result of a combination of collaborative partnering, technology sharing between the public and private sectors, and sound implementation strategies on race weekends. This paper identifies some of the primary issues and problems surrounding event traffic management at PIR and highlights the successful application of technologies, innovative partnerships, and lessons learned that could be applied for other special event traffic management systems.
Samenvatting