September 11 and Beyond: Highway Agencies Respond to Keep America
Mobile and Secure
On September 11, 2001, the emergency response plan that the Virginia
Department of Transportation (DOT) devised 8 years ago was suddenly
no longer just a plan. "Our control center was locked down minutes
after the incident in New York City, and our rapid response plan was
put into effect," says Steve Mondul, Special Assistant to the
Transportation Commissioner. "The DOT's Smart Traffic Center
is located near the Pentagon in Arlington," says Mondul. "Center
personnel were watching the coverage of New York on TV when the plane
came directly overhead and hit the Pentagon. Immediately they dispatched
vehicles to the site to assist and offered their building as an evacuation
center for military personnel. For 3 days, many of the Pentagon's
operations were run out of the Smart Traffic Center."
The Virginia DOT also dispatched several emergency augmentation teams
to set up lights and message signs on roads near the Pentagon and
help direct the flow of traffic out of Washington, DC, into Northern
Virginia. Across the river in Washington, DC, the District Division
of Transportation swung into action to facilitate the movement of
traffic out of the city. "We're very proud of the work of DC's
traffic management on September 11," says Bill Rice, Public Information
Officer for the Division of Transportation. "There was certainly
gridlock at times, but they were able to empty the downtown area in
only 3 hours." This was accomplished by falling back on Y2K planning
and training and such measures as changing traffic lights and signals
to effectively turn that Tuesday morning into the Tuesday afternoon
rush hour.
The New York State DOT also played a vital role in coordinating the
movement of traffic in New York City and surrounding areas and assisting
in emergency response efforts. This assistance included deploying
maintenance personnel, trucks, loaders, and emergency vehicles and
equipment to New York City; aiding in debris clearance; and transporting
generators and other needed items. New York State DOT personnel also
helped staff the State Emergency Operations Centers and the New York
City Mayor's Office of Emergency Management.
Across the country, the California DOT moved quickly to facilitate
travel in the San Francisco/Oakland area on the 11th, amid rumours
that the hijacked plane that eventually would crash in Western Pennsylvania
was headed for the Bay area. To move traffic as quickly as possible,
all lane restrictions were lifted on the major bridges and roadways
in the Bay area. There was also an immediate heightened awareness
of security for important transportation structures that has resulted
in some important system-wide changes.
"The events of the 11th were a wakeup call for the agency,"
says Randell Iwasaki, Deputy Director of Maintenance and Traffic Operations
at the California DOT. All access points to important transportation
structures have been analyzed and secured. Access doors to bridges,
for example, have been closed and locked and those not necessary for
inspection purposes have been welded shut. The agency has begun to
install new, stronger fencing at key access points on major bridges,
surveillance cameras have been added, and areas surrounding key structural
points have been cleared and secured.
Construction sites in California have also implemented new security
measures. All modular buildings and nonessential equipment have been
moved away from critical points under bridges, for example. Heavy
equipment must now be registered and have the contractor's name prominently
displayed, and construction workers are required to have two forms
of identification.
The Washington State DOT has also ramped up its security measures.
It has set up a working agreement with the State patrol and the Oregon
DOT, for example, to monitor major bridges in the region. The Washington
State DOT recently published a brochure that is being distributed
to employees, The Eyes and Ears, which details how they can play a
pivotal role in watching out for suspicious activities and objects
on the State's roads and bridges. "They're out there every day.
They know what belongs and doesn't belong," says John Conrad,
Assistant Secretary for Engineering and Regional Operations at Washington
State DOT. The highway agency has also been working since September
11 to facilitate traffic control around military bases in the State
and increase security for vehicles and people traveling on ferries
in the State. Along with six other State agencies, the DOT serves
as a member of the new Governor's Task Force on Terrorism.
In New York State, the DOT has launched a multifaceted campaign to
help safeguard transportation system assets and the traveling public.
A system-wide vulnerability assessment is underway, as well as an
extensive internal audit of information technology security. On the
roadways, the number of truck inspections being done per day has nearly
doubled and special attention is being given to inspections conducted
near border crossings.
Other highway agencies are also taking a new look at their operations.
In Washington, DC, the Division of Transportation is bolstering its
emergency planning by mapping out evacuation routes for the area,
using snow routes as a starting point. And the Virginia DOT has increased
inspection of vehicles traveling through tunnels in the State. Highway
agencies in DC, Virginia, and Maryland are also working with government
and police officials in their regions to better coordinate their emergency
efforts. Improvements being considered include links between highway
cameras in Maryland, Virginia, and DC, and a new radio system that
would allow police and transportation officials across the region
to speak directly to each other.
In addition to individual State efforts, protecting transportation
assets and public safety nationwide is also the mission of a new Transportation
Research Board Task Force on Critical Transportation Infrastructure
Protection. The Task Force will study a full range of security issues,
including risk assessment, prevention, technology, procedures, and
applications. Task force members include representatives from the
military, academia, the private sector, State and local highway agencies,
and the U.S. Department of Transportation. For more information on
the Task Force's activities, visit its Web site at san-antonio.tamu.edu/trba5t56/trba5t56.html.
State Contacts
California DOT
Randell Iwasaki, 916-654-6823 (email: Randell.Iwasaki@dot.ca.gov)
New York State DOT
Melissa Carlson, 518-457-6400 (email: mcarlson@gw.dot.state.ny.us)
Virginia DOT
Steve Mondul, 804-786-2978 (email: smondul@VDOT.state.va.us)
Washington, DC, District Division of Transportation
Bill Rice, 202-673-6813 (email: bill.rice@dc.gov)
Washington State DOT
John Conrad, 360-705-7032 (email: conradj@wsdot.wa.gov)
Other
articles in this issue:
September
11 and Beyond: Highway Agencies Respond to Keep America Mobile and
Secure
DataPave 3.0: Your ticket to pavement performance
data
Arkansas paves the way to smoother roads
Conference features concrete solutions for
a new century
Saving Superpave
September
11 and Beyond: Highway Agencies Respond to Keep America Mobile and
Secure
Highway technology calendar
International congress to examine new
challenges for winter road maintenance
