MAKING THE CONNECTION:

Advancing Traffic Incident Management

in Transportation Planning

A Primer
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FHWA-HOP-13-044

Making the Connection: Advancing Traffic Incident Management in 

Transportation Planning

A Primer

Mr. Wayne Berman, Federal Highway Administration, GTM

The intent of this primer is to inform and guide traffic incident management (TIM) professionals and transportation 

planners to initiate and develop collaborative relationships and advance TIM programs through the metropolitan planning process. The primer aims to inspire planners and TIM professionals to create transportation plans and programs 

that support regional TIM programs through TIM-focused objectives, performance measures, and TIM strategies and 

projects. The ultimate goal of this primer is to strengthen, support, and elevate regional TIM programs as a crucial, 

lower-cost strategy for reliability, safety, environmental improvements, and mobility. The primer explains the benefits 

for TIM professionals and planners of linking planning and TIM. It contains specific opportunities, supported by case 

studies, to integrate TIM considerations and stakeholders into the planning process. TIM planning sheets provide 

tangible examples of TIM objectives that can be drawn from, in whole or in part, to develop metropolitan transportation plans or related operations or TIM-focused plans. 

Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

8301 Greensboro Drive

McLean, VA 22102

Kittelson & Associates, Inc.

610 SW Alder, Suite 700

Portland, OR 97205 

United States Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

Washington, DC 20590

Jocelyn Bauer (SAIC), Phillip Worth (KAI), Lisa Bedsole (SAIC), 

Gary Millsaps (Delcan), Anna Giragosian (SAIC)

Traffic incident management, metropolitan transportation planning, planning for operations, transportation systems management and operations, regional 

collaboration.

No restrictions.

Unclassified Unclassified 72 N/A

July 2013

DTFH61-06-D-00005

HOP

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

Delcan Corporation

2055 Sugarloaf Circle, Suite 500

Duluth, Georgia 30097
ii

Acknowledgements

This document was developed with input from practitioners from metropolitan planning 

organizations, State departments of transportation, public safety agencies, and other 

organizations. The Federal Highway Administration would specifically like to thank the 

following individuals who helped shape this document through participation in a peer 

exchange, interviews, and reviews of the document during its development:

Sam Belfield, Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization

Joe Bovenzi, Genesee Transportation Council 

Sarah Burnworth, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Chief Grady Carrick, Florida Highway Patrol 

Chief David Covington, City of Schertz Fire Department

Matt Edelman, TRANSCOM

Michael Floberg, Kansas Department of Transportation

Frank Horne, Tennessee Department of Transportation

Christopher King, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Chief Stephen Kopczynski, York County Department of Fire and Life Safety

Walter Kraft, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Todd Long, Georgia Department of Transportation

Laurie Matkowski, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Jim McGee, Nebraska Department of Roads 

Richard Perrin, Genesee Transportation Council 

Captain Mike Prochko, Arizona Department of Public Safety 

Brian Purvis, North Carolina Department of Transportation

Eileen Singleton, Baltimore Metropolitan Council

Radiah Victor, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Kofi Wakhisi, Atlanta Regional Commission

John Ward, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

Nicholas Weander, Metropolitan Area Planning Agency 

Michael Zezeski, Maryland State Highway Administration
Dear Colleague:

Unexpected delays caused by traffic incidents contribute significantly to Americans’ safety and 

productivity. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recognizes the importance of 

traffic incident management (TIM) and sees a significant opportunity for the metropolitan 

transportation planning process to support and sustain these efforts. The purpose of this primer 

is to showcase how transportation planners and TIM professionals can work together to create 

transportation long term plans and programs that support regional objectives, performance 

measures, and strategies to improve safety and reliability. 

The great challenge in writing this primer, however, mirrors the challenge inherent in the 

planning process as a whole, i.e. finding ways to help very different and very diverse sets of 

stakeholders understand the benefits of reaching across institutional and cultural divides in order 

to work together to achieve common safety and mobility objectives. This primer does that by 

sharing the experiences of planners and operators who have partnered successfully to overcome 

the challenges and realize the benefits of collaboration and coordination – concepts both planners 

and incident responders embrace daily in their respective activities.

The audience for the primer includes TIM program leaders, managers and supervisors involved 

in TIM operations as well as transportation planners from State, regional, or metropolitan 

planning organizations. The contents feature the following:

• Opportunities to integrate TIM into the planning process, 

• Explains the players in the regional planning process as well as in the TIM community, 

• Case studies of successful collaboration,

• Examples of TIM incorporated into a metropolitan transportation plan, and 

• Information sheets that provide sample regional TIM objectives, performance measures, 

and strategies. 

We look forward to receiving your feedback, reactions, and experiences in implementing these 

concepts. Please direct any comments, questions, and suggestions to Wayne Berman at 

wayne.berman@dot.gov, 202-366-4069 or Laurie Radow at laurie.radow@dot.gov, 202-366-2855.

Robert E. Arnold

Director, Office of Transportation Management

Mark R. Kehrli

Director, Office of Transportation Operations
iv

Acronyms

Caltrans California Department of Transportation

CCTV Closed-Circuit Television

CMAQ Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement

CMF Crash Modification Factor

CMP Congestion Management Process 

DOT Department of Transportation

DVRPC Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission

EMS Emergency Medical Services

FHP Florida Highway Patrol

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

GTC Genesee Transportation Council

ICS Incident Command Structure

ITS Intelligent Transportation Systems

M&O Management and Operations

MCDOT Monroe County Department of Transportation

MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization

MTC Metropolitan Transportation Commission 

MUTCD Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices 

NFTPO North Florida Transportation Planning Organization

NIMS National Incident Management System

NUG National Unified Goal

NYSDOT New York State Department of Transportation

NYSTA New York State Thruway Authority 

RCTO Regional Concept for Transportation Operations

RIMIS Regional Integrated Multi-Modal Information Sharing

RTOC Regional Traffic Operations Center

RTP Regional Transportation Plan

SEMCOG Southeast Michigan Council of Governments

SHRP 2 Strategic Highway Research Program 2

SPC Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission 

TIM Traffic Incident Management

TIME Traffic Incident Management Enhancement

TIP Transportation Improvement Program

TSM&O Transportation Systems Management and Operations

VMS Variable Message Sign
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | v

Contents

1. Introduction........................................................................................................2

Bridging the Divide between Traffic Incident Management (TIM) and Transportation Planning ......2

Purpose and Audience for Primer ....................................................................................................3

2. Benefits for TIM Professionals and Planners....................................................6

Benefits for TIM Professionals .........................................................................................................6

 Expanded Access to Resources ..................................................................................................7

 Forum for TIM Coordination.........................................................................................................7

 Input on Transportation Projects..................................................................................................7

 Access to Multi-Agency Training..................................................................................................8

 Elevated Visibility Among Transportation Decisionmakers...........................................................8

 Case Study: Genesee Transportation Council Fosters TIM as a Strategic Priority ....................8

Benefits for Regional Planners .........................................................................................................8

 Address Major Source of Congestion ..........................................................................................8

 Lower Cost Mobility and Safety Solutions...................................................................................9

 Expertise and Recommendations on Operations Priorities, TIM Strategies and Projects............9

 Data to Justify Investments.........................................................................................................9

 Meet Planning Regulations ........................................................................................................ 10

 Case Study: Benefits Gained from MPO Reaching out to State Police: TIMe4SAFETY

 Program – North Florida Transportation Planning Organization............................................... 11

3. Opportunities to Advance TIM inTransportation Planning and

Investments ......................................................................................................14

Getting Together: Connecting TIM Professionals and Transportation Planners ............................. 14

 Connecting with TIM Professionals as a Metropolitan Planner.................................................. 14

 Case Study: San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission – A Forum for

 TIM Collaboration .................................................................................................................. 15

 Connecting with Metropolitan Transportation Planners as a TIM Professional .......................... 17

 Opportunities to Engage the TIM Community ........................................................................... 18

 Case Study: SEMCOG’s Annual TIM Partnering Workshops Promote Regional

 Transportation Operations in Michigan .................................................................................. 18

 Involving the TIM Community in Planning ................................................................................. 19

 What Can Be Accomplished? .................................................................................................... 19
vi

Integrating TIM into Transportation Planning..................................................................................20

 Integrating TIM in the Development of the Metropolitan Transportation Plan ...........................20

 Case Study: DVRPC Surveys TIM Practitioners to Identify Regional Priorities .......................22

 Regional TIM Priorities and Performance Measures..................................................................22

 Case Study: Portland Focuses on Performance Measurements to Gauge Investments ........23

 Examples of How TIM has been Integrated into the Transportation Plan ..................................24

 Case Study: PAG Aims to Increase Safety through TIM.........................................................26

 Regional Investment in TIM.......................................................................................................27

 Case Study: TIM Plays Leading Role in DVRPC’s Data-Driven Future....................................30

4. Information Resources for Planners on TIM...................................................32

Appendix A. Regional TIM Planning Sheets ........................................................36

Appendix B. Case Study: A Metropolitan Transportatoin Plan and an

Operations Plan Incorporating TIM ......................................................................50
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | vii
In the Philadelphia region, local and State emergency responders learn about traffic incidents in realtime from a web-based network connecting highway operations centers, 9-1-1 call centers, and 

responders in their vehicles. In Hampton Roads, Virginia, State police are clearing incidents 

more quickly with two new total incident investigation stations funded in the metropolitan 

transportation program. Incident responders in North Florida and beyond are now more 

aware of how to protect themselves and other motorists at incident scenes and work 

seamlessly with fellow responders from other disciplines to quickly clear incidents 

thanks to a major training program led by the metropolitan planning organization. 

In the Genesee-Finger Lakes, New York region, a strategic plan for 

transportation operations has elevated the priorities and needs of traffic 

incident management professionals for current and future investment 

decisions. In Atlanta, incident responders review infrastructure designs 

to ensure that incident response requirements, such as water 

connections and turnaround locations on highways, are planned and 

implemented.

How did these regions make it happen?

It begins with creating a strong relationship 

between traffic incident management and 

transportation planning. 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 2

Transportation planners and traffic incident management professionals are two groups of professionals 

who traditionally have had little interaction, but there 

are real and sustainable benefits to be gained for incident responders, planners, and the traveling public 

when the connection is made. In the examples mentioned above, tangible improvements for TIM happened when metropolitan transportation planners 

and incident responders began working together. 

On the surface, planners and TIM professionals 

appear to have little in common. Planners focus on 

envisioning transportation systems and communities 

in the future, coordinating stakeholders, and preparing planning documentation, whereas TIM professionals operate in the present, dealing with immediate needs of managing the safe and efficient detection 

and clearance of traffic incidents on a daily basis. 

They have far different work cultures and talk in terms 

that are unfamiliar to the other group. Despite their 

significant differences, however, transportation planners and TIM professionals have important goals in 

common – safety and mobility for all road users. By 

working together, TIM professionals and planners 

can offer each other crucial pieces of the puzzle for 

making significant gains in safety and mobility. 

TIM professionals need greater access to funding, 

equipment, and other resources as well as better 

coordination among responders regionally. By working with planners and connecting to the regional or 

statewide planning process, TIM professionals 

increase their opportunities for accessing resources 

and interacting with other TIM professionals across 

the region. By interacting with regional or statewide 

planning organizations, TIM professionals can 

increase the visibility of TIM as a vital public service 

that reduces costly congestion.

Planners in regions and States faced with dwindling 

public funds to improve mobility need low-cost strategies that allow regions to get the most use out of 

their current transportation infrastructure. Traffic incidents may cause significant regional roadway congestion, and some metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in lower population density areas view 

incidents to be their greatest congestion source. 

Planners find that they must account for incident 

management if they are to address congestion adequately. TIM is a low-cost way of reducing congestion that has a very high return on investment – using 

a traffic simulation program, analysts determined 

that Maryland State Highway Agency’s Coordinated 

Highways Action Response Team (CHART) program 

reduced travel delay on major Maryland corridors by 

32.43 million vehicle-hours in 2009, equating to a 

savings in delay, fuel, and emissions valued at more 

than $1 billion.1

 Additionally, with the 2012 passage of 

the Federal surface transportation legislation, Moving 

Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), 

1. Introduction

Bridging the Divide between Traffic Incident Management (TIM) and Transportation Planning 

Despite their significant differences, 

transportation planners and TIM 

professionals have important goals 

in common – safety and mobility for 

all road users.

1 Chang, G., and S. Rochon. CHART Input and Analysis: Performance Evaluation and Benefit t Analysis for CHART in Year 2009, 

University of Maryland: n.d.

“We don’t just prioritize traffic incident 

management because it’s effective. We rely on

it because it’s cost-effective.” 

— Richard Perrin, Executive Director, 

Genesee Transportation Council
3

there is a greater shift toward the use of performance-based planning in which transportation system performance measures and data are used to 

make planning and investment decisions. 

Collaboration with TIM professionals is important in 

developing, tracking, and meeting operations-related 

objectives and measures. 

Purpose and Audience for Primer 

The intent of this primer is to inform and guide TIM 

professionals and transportation planners to initiate 

and develop collaborative relationships and advance 

TIM programs through the metropolitan planning process. The primer aims to inspire planners and TIM 

professionals to create transportation plans and programs that support regional TIM programs through 

TIM-focused objectives, performance measures, and 

TIM strategies and projects. The ultimate goal of this 

primer is to strengthen, support, and elevate regional 

TIM programs as a crucial, lower-cost strategy for reliability, safety, environmental improvements, and 

mobility. The primary audiences for this primer are 

transportation planners, TIM program leaders, and 

managers and supervisors involved in TIM operations 

from organizations such as law enforcement, State 

and local departments of transportation, fire and rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), public 

safety communications, emergency management, 

towing and recovery, hazardous materials response 

teams/contractors, medical examiners/coroners, and 

transit providers.

Throughout this primer, examples from across the 

country are provided to illustrate effective practices 

in linking TIM and planning. Examples are drawn 

from these metropolitan areas listed in order of 

increasing population size:2

 Madison, Wisconsin (Madison Area Transportation 

Planning Board)

 Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, New York (Genesee 

Transportation Council) 

 Tucson, Arizona (Pima Association of Governments) 

 Jacksonville, Florida (North Florida Transportation 

Planning Organization) 

 Portland, Oregon (Metro) 

 Chesapeake, Virginia (Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization) 

 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission) 

 Denver, Colorado (Denver Regional Council of Governments) 

 Phoenix, Arizona (Maricopa Association of Governments)

 Detroit, Michigan (Southeast Michigan Council of 

Governments) 

 Atlanta, Georgia (Atlanta Regional Commission)

 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Delaware Valley Regional 

Planning Commission) 

 San Francisco, California (Metropolitan Transportation Commission) 

2 Population is for MPO planning region and obtained from the 2010 U.S. Census.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 4
5
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 6

There are numerous benefits to integrating TIM into 

the transportation planning process at a State or 

regional level. Those benefits start with safer, more 

efficient transportation system performance for the 

traveling public. With greater regional support, incidents can be cleared safely in less time, minimizing 

congestion and the impacts of traffic incidents on 

overall mobility and safety. The figure below gives a 

sample of benefits that TIM and planning professionals may gain through connecting TIM and planning. 

The sample focuses on items that help those groups 

fulfill their missions more effectively or efficiently.

Benefits for TIM Professionals

TIM professionals can open up more opportunities to 

advance TIM in the region by becoming involved with 

transportation planning and the leaders of that 

process at MPOs and State departments of transportation (DOTs). The benefits to TIM may be in the 

form of increased funding, equipment, or training to 

support TIM activities. There are many ways to connect to the transportation planning process, as 

described later in this primer, but one of the most 

important is to help set specific priorities for transportation in the region in terms of regional objectives 

and performance measures. These will guide the 

selection of strategies, programs, and projects for 

investment. Regional objectives should reflect the 

interests of all transportation stakeholders in the 

community, and involvement in the planning process 

is a good way to elevate the importance of incident 

management as a tool for improving road safety and 

reducing congestion in the region. 

2. Benefits for TIM Professionals

and Planners 

Figure 1. Benefits of connecting TIM to transportation planning for TIM professionals and planners.

Benefits for TIM Professionals

 Opportunities for resources− 

funding, equipment, etc.

 Forum for TIM coordination

 Input on transportation projects

 Access to multi-agency training

 Elevated visibility among

transportation decisionmakers

Benefits for

Transportation Planners

 Address major source of

congestion

 Lower cost mobility & safety

solutions

 Expertise and recommendations 

on operations priorities, TIM 

strategies and projects

 Data to justify investments

 Meet planning regulations

CONNECTING TIM

TO TRANSPORTATION

PLANNING
7

Expanded Access to Resources

TIM professionals can also benefit from connecting 

with the planning process by coordinating with other 

TIM stakeholders to propose and support TIM strategies in the metropolitan transportation plan and the 

funding of TIM needs. TIM professionals may be 

able to obtain funding for inter-agency field communications systems, training program development, total 

incident scene investigation stations, variable message signs and other traveler information devices, 

emergency signal preemption, and other resources 

that will advance the safety and effectiveness of incident management professionals’ efforts. TIM projects may be eligible for several Federal funding programs. See the section– “Regional Investment in 

TIM”– in Chapter 3 for more information.

What Do Transportation Planners Do?

Transportation planners at metropolitan planning 

organizations, State departments of 

transportation, and transit agencies lead a 

cooperative process designed to foster 

involvement by all users of the system, such as 

the business community, community groups, 

environmental organizations, the traveling public, 

freight operators, and the general public, through 

a proactive public participation process. The 

process facilitated by planners includes:

 “Monitoring existing conditions;

 Forecasting future population and employment 

growth, including projected land uses and major 

growth corridors;

 Identifying current and projected future transportation problems and needs and analyzing, through 

detailed planning studies, various transportation 

improvement strategies to address those needs;

 Developing long-range plans and short-range programs of alternative capital improvement and operational strategies for moving people and goods;

 Estimating the impact of recommended future 

improvements to the transportation system on 

environmental features, including air quality; and

 Developing a financial plan for securing sufficient 

revenues to cover the costs of implementing 

strategies.”

Source: FHWA/FTA, The Transportation Planning 

Process Key Issues, FHWA-HEP-07-039. 

Available at: http://www.planning.dot.gov/

documents/briefingbook/bbook.htm.

Another benefit for TIM professionals includes 

access to MPO mapping services. MPOs may provide maps for emergency detour routing, water 

access locations for fire, and door locations in noise 

walls along highways.

Forum for TIM Coordination

TIM professionals can also benefit from using the 

planning organization’s capability to convene TIM 

partners from across the region for the purpose of 

increasing coordination between jurisdictions, 

modes, and functions in TIM operations. Planning 

organizations can facilitate a collaborative group for 

improving TIM that enables TIM professionals to 

meet the people who they may need to work with in 

the field and better understand the roles of other 

responders. Through this collaboration, TIM professionals can also benefit from bringing their staff 

expertise, data, and other resources together for 

improved TIM performance. 

Input on Transportation Projects

By participating in the transportation planning process, TIM professionals may be able to influence 

how and where operations devices are deployed and 

infrastructure is designed so that TIM is facilitated. 

As one fire chief in Virginia commented, “It is better 

to be involved before the project is deployed than to 

have to live with the results afterward.” TIM professionals can improve their ability to detect, respond, 

clear, and manage incidents by assisting transportation engineers, designers, and planners in the placement of signs, signals, cameras, pull-outs, and other 

operational features of the infrastructure.

For example, in areas near chemical factories or other 

industrial areas where hazardous materials (HAZMAT) 

are frequently transported, designing drainage or providing TIM responders with drainage routes and layouts for diking fuels or channeling spills off of the 

travel lanes can be extremely helpful to responders’ 

ability to safely clear the spilled substance in a 

HAZMAT incident. The sooner responders can “get 

in front of” a spill or toxic release, the less harm to 

the environment and, potentially, to nearby residents. 

Additionally, when a construction project is planned, 

an engineer, or group of engineers, typically puts 

together the schedule of closures and any necessary 

plan for rerouting traffic. Giving the TIM community 

the opportunity to provide their input on this before 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 8

the project begins can significantly improve response 

times in construction zones and allow responders to 

mitigate the scene faster. 

Access to Multi-Agency Training

Metropolitan planning organizations, such as the 

Genesee Transportation Council (GTC), have helped 

provide multi-agency, multi-disciplinary TIM groups 

with national training courses and workshops that promote safe and coordinated incident response. 

Similarly, the North Florida Transportation Planning 

Organization (NFTPO) spearheaded an effort to create 

a multi-disciplinary training program for first responders that has been accessed by more than 30,000 

responders in Florida (see case study on page 18). 

Elevated Visibility Among Transportation 

Decisionmakers

By participating as a stakeholder group in the planning process and providing input on regional priorities 

and cost-effective solutions, TIM professionals and 

their interests gain greater visibility among the transportation decisionmakers who approve the regional 

transportation plan and make investment decisions.

Benefits for Regional Planners

Address Major Source of Congestion

TIM enables planners to deal with a significant cause 

of congestion, and incident management can be an 

important strategy in a region’s congestion management process. Planning organizations benefit when 

TIM professionals know about and actively support 

Case Study: Genesee Transportation Council Fosters TIM as a Strategic Priority 

The Genesee Transportation Council (GTC), the MPO for the Greater Rochester region of New York, is 

incorporating TIM into its planning efforts by creating an intelligent transportation systems (ITS) 

strategic plan that recognizes TIM as a means of combatting the region’s congestion challenges. The 

seeds of coordination and adoption of TIM as a strategic priority were planted when New York State 

DOT Region 4 Operations, Monroe County DOT, and a New York State Police station were co-located 

in the Regional Traffic Operations Center (RTOC) in 2002. It did not take long for these responder and 

traffic operations communities to realize that collaboration would result in a complete detection and 

response capability for both the daily routine of traffic as well as TIM. 

As a result of working together, regional stakeholders have identified ways to expand and improve upon 

their success with the assistance and support of the MPO, which has identified multi-agency training 

and education targeted to local first responders as a strategic objective. This training will provide them 

with better information regarding the RTOC and its capabilities, reinforce the Unified Incident 

Command structure, help local first responders better understand the downstream impacts and safety 

risks associated with highway incident management activities, and educate responders on ways to 

minimize unnecessary disruption to the transportation system without compromising safety.

Operators and responders also quickly realized the value of different kinds of technologies. GTC has 

identified coordinated traffic signal timing adjustments, the installation of new highway advisory radio 

beacons, the addition of portable dynamic message signs, and further integration with the proposed 

statewide 511 system as strategic priorities to increase dissemination of traffic incident information to 

the general public so that drivers can avoid incident-related congestion. 

Source: Genesee Transportation Council, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Plan, 

February 2011. http://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/PlansStudies/ITS_StrategicPlanUpdate.pdf. Note that 

GTC’s Long Range Transportation Plan 2035 (http://www.gtcmpo.org/docs/LRTP.htm) is another 

example of a document that recognize TIM as a means to reduce congestion.
9

3 Battelle Memorial Institute for the Maricopa County Department of Transportation, Regional Emergency Action Coordination Team 

(REACT) Evaluation, Phoenix, Arizona, 2002. 

4 URS Corporation for the Georgia DOT, Benefits Analysis for the Georgia Department of Transportation NaviGAtor Program: Final 

Report, August 2006. Available at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/travelinfo/gdotbenefit/gdotfinalreport_0806.pdf. 

all of the region’s transportation goals. For example, 

in circumstances where responder and driver safety 

will not be compromised, TIM responders may be 

able to help reduce congestion by closing fewer lanes 

at an incident scene. Regional benefits also extend 

to reduced emissions (from less congestion/vehicle 

idling) and improved safety (from reduced opportunities for secondary incidents, i.e., incidents caused by 

a previous incident). In addition, as TIM responders 

learn about the goals for the transportation system, 

they may become more aware of the impacts that an 

incident has on areas outside their immediate responsibility. 

Lower Cost Mobility and Safety Solutions

TIM strategies such as incident response patrols 

have tremendous benefit-cost ratios. When funds 

are scarce, safety/service patrols provide an excellent, high-profile way to improve mobility and safety 

for motorists and responders. For example, a multijurisdictional arterial incident management patrol in 

the Phoenix metropolitan area provides services to 

six cities with a benefit-cost ratio of 6.4:1, offering 

the added benefits of increasing responder safety by 

securing incident scenes and reducing the number of 

law enforcement officers necessary at each crash 

scene.3

Expertise and Recommendations on 

Operations Priorities, TIM Strategies and 

Projects

In addition to improving regional performance outcomes and planning goals, TIM professionals can 

help planners and planning boards determine the 

most effective or needed TIM improvements. TIM 

professionals can supply expert opinions, field knowledge, and data that can help planning officials make 

smart decisions when funding TIM-related projects.

Data to Justify Investments

Incident management data collected by TIM partners 

(DOTs, police, etc.) is highly beneficial to planners in 

helping to make the case for new TIM investments 

and justify spending when transportation budget 

reductions are needed. For example, a 2006 study on 

the outcomes of the Georgia NaviGAtor incident 

management program found that it reduced annual 

fuel consumption by 6.83 million gallons and significantly contributed to decreased emissions: 2,457 

tons less carbon monoxide, 186 tons less hydrocarbons, and 262 tons less nitrous oxides.4

Planning Basics: What Is an MPO?

Each urbanized area in the United States with a 

population of 50,000 or more is required by 

Federal statute to have a metropolitan planning 

organization (MPO), a transportation policymaking body made up of representatives from 

local government and transportation agencies 

with authority and responsibility in metropolitan 

planning areas. MPOs are required to have a 

continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive 

transportation planning process, and Federal 

funding for transportation projects and programs 

is channeled through this planning process. As a 

result, MPOs provide a forum for decisionmaking 

on regional transportation issues. As of 2010, 

there were 384 MPOs in the United States.

MPOs develop transportation plans and 

programs for the urbanized area. This cooperative 

transportation decisionmaking process provides 

a forum for members to discuss regional 

transportation issues and plan transportation 

improvements for the region. The MPO process 

also provides an open forum for transportation 

system stakeholders, including first responders, 

to work together to ensure their needs are 

addressed – and sometimes funded – through 

regional transportation plans.

To find the MPO in your region, visit the US 

Department of Transportation MPO Database at 

www.planning.dot.gov/mpo.asp.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 10

Who Are TIM Operators?

TIM Operators come from a variety of responder 

disciplines, and all of them may provide 

important input to regional planning. Planners 

should keep in mind that first responders are 

accustomed to working in a cooperative, “team” 

environment with members of other disciplines 

and agencies, and often across jurisdictional 

boundaries. This gives them a foundation of 

working with others to achieve their objectives 

that can be useful for planners wishing to build 

relationships with the TIM community. Contacts, 

and potentially champions, may be found 

throughout the TIM community, which includes:

 Law enforcement 

 Fire and rescue

 Emergency medical services (EMS)

 Towing and recovery

 Hazardous materials response teams/contractors 

(in some areas, these professionals can be found 

in the towing and recovery community)

 Medical examiners/coroners

 Emergency dispatchers

 DOT/traffic management center staff

TIM Fundamentals:

Effective TIM reduces the duration and impacts 

of traffic incidents and improves the safety of 

motorists, crash victims and emergency 

responders.

TIM activities are typically categorized into the 

following five functional areas:

 Detection and verification

 Traveler information

 Response

 Scene management and traffic control

 Quick clearance and recovery

The National Unified Goal (NUG) is a unified 

national policy developed and ratified by major 

national organizations as members of the 

National Traffic Incident Management Coalition 

(http://ntimc.transportation.org/Pages/default.

aspx) representing traffic incident responders. It 

consists of three major goals, listed below, 

supported by 18 strategies for achieving these 

goals. 

 Responder Safety

 Safe, Quick Clearance

 Prompt, Reliable, Interoperable Communications

The NUG represents essential priorities for TIM 

responders. MPOs could play a valuable role in 

implementing the NUG, for example by 

incorporating the goals and strategies in their 

plans and programs.

Source: FHWA, Best Practices in Traffic Incident 

Management, September 2010. Available at: 

http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/

fhwahop10050/index.htm

Meet Planning Regulations

Federal planning regulations require that metropolitan 

transportation plans include management and operations strategies such as TIM. Strategies such as TIM 

also support congestion mitigation efforts through the 

congestion management process (CMP), a systematic approach applied in metropolitan regions to identify congestion and its causes, propose mitigation 

strategies, and evaluate the effectiveness of implemented strategies. The CMP is federally required in 

metropolitan areas with populations greater than 

200,000. For example, the Madison Area 

Transportation Planning Board’s CMP includes “the 

development and implementation of an enhanced 

Regional Incident Management Plan” as one transportation system management strategy recommended to 

manage congestion in the region.5

 The Madison CMP 

also includes arterial and freeway incident management performance measures and targets.6

5 Madison Area Transportation Planning Board, 2035 Regional Transportation Plan Update, March 2012. Available at:

http://www.madisonareampo.org/planning/documents/TransportationSystemPart4_000.pdf. 

6 Ibid
11

Case Study: Benefits Gained from MPO Reaching out to State Police: TIMe4SAFETY 

Program – North Florida Transportation Planning Organization

TIM is an important component of ITS. With millions of dollars invested in systems and hardware, the 

procedures and processes used by the responders on the scene can either maximize its value, or derail 

its promise. With this in mind, the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (NFTPO) reached 

out to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) in 2003, inviting the agency to participate in the Regional ITS 

Coalition shortly after it formed in 2003. 

It became increasingly clear to the FHP and the NFTPO that first responders needed a single 

“playbook” that would detail a common operational approach. The NFTPO initiated the development 

of a concept of operations that resulted in a set of standard operating guidelines. In October 2008, the 

NFTPO, in association with FHP, hosted a northeast Florida Traffic Incident Management stakeholders’ 

workshop in Jacksonville, Florida. This workshop attracted multi-disciplinary representatives from law 

enforcement, fire and rescue, road rangers, towing and recovery, and transportation agencies within 

northeast Florida. Through discussions and hands-on activities during this four-hour workshop, all 

attendees were encouraged to comment on the draft guidelines. 

Based on comments received during and after the workshop, and after reviewing other nationwide 

initiatives, the NFTPO, with the full support of the FHP, created the “TIMe4Safety Training Program.” 

This program includes a Traffic Incident Management Handbook and five video modules featuring 

actual responders, who not only acted in the video, but also wrote the script, creating a feeling of 

“ownership” and unity in the operations community. 

The training program was designed to make responders more aware of their own safety at the scene of 

traffic incidents as well as to explain to them the roles and responsibilities of other responder groups, 

giving them insight into the risks their colleagues face and showing them how to work together to clear 

incidents in a way that maximizes safety for responders and motorists alike. 

Since the Fall 2009 release of this training program, it has been viewed by approximately 30,000 

responders in Florida and distributed to responder agencies across the U.S., Canada and Australia. The 

Traffic Incident Management Handbook and five associated video modules are free for download or 

viewing at http://www.northfloridatpo.com/its_coalition/traffic_incident_management/.

Source: North Florida TPO website, and ITS Master Plan Update For North Florida Regional ITS Master 

Plan - http://www.northfloridatpo.com/images/uploads/general/ITS-Master-Plan-2010Update_finalreport.

pdf; email communication with FHP Chief Grady Carrick (ret.), January 2, 2013
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 12
13
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 14

Getting Together: Connecting TIM 

Professionals and Transportation 

Planners 

Opportunities abound for connecting these two 

groups that are so vital to the safe and efficient operation of the transportation system. Each group has a 

number of regular activities to which the other could 

be invited, as a guest, presenter, or a regular participant. The cycle of plan updates that are required of 

transportation planners provides opportunities to 

engage TIM professionals at the visionary, strategic, 

and/or tactical levels. Additionally, meetings of 

elected officials, some of whom may have responsibility for professionals in each group, provide a forum 

for guiding and promoting collaboration among transportation planners and TIM professionals.

Despite the opportunities to come together to 

advance TIM, planners and TIM professionals 

encounter challenges in bridging the cultural divide, 

making that first connection, and sustaining a collaborative relationship. This section provides approaches 

for MPO planners and TIM professionals to reach out 

and engage each other. While the role of the transportation planner at an MPO is ideally situated to 

reach out and invite TIM professionals into the planning process, the TIM community should not wait for 

an invitation. There are too many benefits to be 

gained.

Connecting with TIM Professionals as a 

Metropolitan Planner

The world of TIM is driven by one overriding goal: 

safety. TIM operators focus on maintaining and 

improving safety for both incident responders as well 

as the motoring public, and planners should recognize that mobility and reliability are often improved by 

operators’ actions. Finding ways to work with TIM 

teams to maximize operators’ ability to do their jobs 

quickly and safely will help planners reach established mobility and reliability goals. 

Planners should also recognize that TIM operators 

know they are least safe when they are on the scene 

of an incident, so they are motivated to clear incidents quickly to get off the road and into a safe environment. Ideally, a relationship between transportation planners and TIM operators will be a means to 

facilitate incident clearance, which will result in shortened incident timelines, reduced congestion, and 

improved safety, mobility, and reliability. Therefore, 

when approaching TIM operators to begin a dialogue, 

planners should remember that the most effective 

message they can convey is that working with the 

MPO can improve responder safety.

Transportation planners and TIM professionals have 

an extensive network of contacts, and there is a high 

likelihood that the two networks have some level of 

overlap. State and local DOT representatives are the 

most likely groups to be among both networks. Initial 

meetings with these “interconnected” representatives could be opportunities to discuss the value of 

3. Opportunities to Advance TIM in

Transportation Planning and Investments

“Packaging everything in ‘safety’ is what really gets 

our attention.”

—Chief Stephen P. Kopczynski

York County Department of Fire and Life Safety
15

Case Study: San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission –

A Forum for TIM Collaboration

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the MPO for the San Francisco Bay Area, works 

to facilitate and promote interagency coordination among regional TIM and emergency response 

personnel as part of a comprehensive Incident Management Program. MTC acts as the lead facilitator 

for the incident response community, coordinating multidisciplinary training and Incident Management 

Task Force Quarterly Meetings. 

The need for greater coordination was originally recognized in 2007, during a Statewide Highway 

Incident Management Summit. In response to this need, MTC began working to develop a series of 

regional TIM workshops, which were designed to provide a forum for agency personnel who are 

directly involved in TIM and response efforts to get to know each other, discuss current regional TIM 

issues, identify ways to work together safely to reduce the impacts of incidents on the highways, and 

to improve coordinated action among partnering response agencies in incident management. 

After a series of three increasingly popular workshops between 2010 and 2011, the practitioner 

gatherings transformed into formal Incident Management Task Force Quarterly Meetings beginning in 

January 2012. While there were only a handful of attendees in the beginning, the workshops – now the 

Task Force – grew to include representatives of more than 30 agencies, including all first responder 

disciplines as well as towing. “Word spread, and the more people who heard about it, the more people 

wanted to attend. It became a challenge to find a space big enough to hold all the participants,” said 

Sarah Burnworth, who coordinates the MTC’s Incident Management Program. Each quarterly meeting 

is hosted and chaired by a different discipline, and the agenda addresses current issues involving 

communication, training, data and performance measures, incident debriefs for major incidents that 

have occurred, and a unique “tours and demonstrations” feature in which attendees are invited to tour 

the host’s facilities (for example, the California DOT’s [Caltrans] Transportation Management Center, 

the California Highway Patrol dispatch center, etc.). There is also an opportunity for attendees to 

discuss new business and network.

Due to these quarterly TIM meetings, the responder and the planning communities have been able to 

identify some specific needs among responders, and a new series of targeted workshops is in the 

making. One need that has been identified is in the dispatcher community. As a result, MTC is working 

with Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol to coordinate a workshop where dispatchers from each 

discipline and jurisdiction in the region can meet to better coordinate the way they communicate and 

interact to respond to incidents. The first workshop for this group occurred in February 2013.

For inquiries related to the MTC Incident Management Program, or to learn more about how to develop 

a regional TIM forum, contact Sarah Burnworth at sburnworth@mtc.ca.gov. 

Source: MTC web site and telephone interview with Sarah Burnworth, Incident Management Program 

Coordinator, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, December 27, 2012.

TIM collaboration, membership of the TIM Team (if 

one exists), who the champion(s) is/are within the 

TIM community, what the major goal is (which is 

likely to be safety), and what their current issues and 

needs are (including supplies and training). Information 

in each of these areas could become the talking 

points for first contact with TIM professionals. One 

of the greatest challenges for planners is establishing 

trust and buy-in from the TIM community. Creating 

trust takes time, but as an initial step the MPO may 

seek out an ally among the TIM community, such as 

the State DOT, to serve as a champion for connecting 

TIM professionals and planners. 

Planners are encouraged to go out and develop relationships one on one. Introducing oneself to incident 

responders can be best done over the phone or in 

person. Email is typically not the most effective way 

to initiate contact. When inviting TIM professionals 

to a meeting, let them know “what’s in it for them” 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 16

and how they can help you with the issues you are 

trying to address. Initially, planners should sit down 

with each agency, find a champion for this effort, and 

have a dialogue on what is hampering TIM operators’ 

ability to get their jobs done as a way to develop a 

common understanding of what is important to each 

partner and how you may be able to advance TIM 

better together. 

The role of metropolitan transportation planners is 

ideally situated for initiating contact with TIM professionals and involving them in the planning process. 

The MPO’s role as convener, coordinator, and facilitator on any topic related to the transportation system 

creates a variety of opportunities to engage the TIM 

community. Topics of particular interest to the TIM 

community include real-time information on system 

operations, work zone locations and management, 

and location and scale of planned special events to 

name just a few. The objectives of responders are 

centered around reduced responder exposure time, 

reduced frequency of secondary incidents, and 

reduced incident response and clearance times. 

These are all consistent with transportation planners’ 

and engineers’ goals of improved safety and reliability, reduced delay, and reduced emissions. Meeting 

agendas that address any of these topics, objectives, 

goals, or outcomes may benefit from involvement of 

the TIM community.

One approach to reaching out and gaining the participation of local fire and other local TIM professionals 

is to enlist the help of the local departments of transportation that the MPO is already working with. The 

Genesee Transportation Council had success in asking the local DOTs that were already involved in the 

planning process to serve as “ambassadors” to their 

city and county counterparts at fire/EMS departments.

If a TIM Team is in place, it is because one or more 

champions have taken on the cause. Most often, the 

group is motivated by a primary purpose: safety for 

the responder. Requesting a meeting to discuss how 

to support improved responder safety would be welcomed by any TIM champion. A great deal of information will be gathered through this type of first contact 

because the TIM Team has already been organized, 

they know one another, they have defined a common 

goal, and they are aware of issues that impact their 

effectiveness.

Each organization within the TIM community has 

administrators, managers, and a field work force. 

Initial outreach by transportation planners to senior 

management or those responsible for their organization’s public affairs would provide the appropriate 

opportunity to make introductions and discover ways 

to productively engage the organization. Informal 

one-on-one meetings with a few representatives 

from the TIM community should be sufficient to verify the initial network of contacts, a list of key leaders 

in the TIM community, current methods of interaction and coordination, and the strategic goals of the 

TIM community. Even these initial meetings provide 

an opportunity to inquire about existing issues and 

needs. 

Organizations responsible for law enforcement and 

fire and rescue make particularly effective first contacts due to their on-site responsibilities involving 

traffic incidents. These organizations maintain relationships with virtually all TIM community members 

as well as with the State DOT and local transportation agencies. Therefore, initial meetings with a 

police chief and a fire chief would enable the transportation planner to provide an overview of the 

MPO’s purpose and planning process and the mutual 

benefit that could be derived from TIM involvement. 

In return, the transportation planner would receive 

information on appropriate contacts within the TIM 

community and early ideas for how to initiate a coordinated engagement with TIM professionals. 

Time should be devoted to understanding the limitations each of these groups face in accomplishing 

their TIM mission. This may lead to one-on-one meetings with other professionals in the TIM community, 

again to understand what they do and what limitations they face. Methods of response sometimes differ and/or conflict among TIM providers, creating 

other challenges to be aware of. This fact-finding 

effort serves to educate the transportation planning 

professional and help them prepare for subsequent 

group meetings with the TIM community. Planners 

can also learn more about the issues facing TIM 

Depending on the region, the DOT and law 

enforcement are normally the biggest players

in operating the road. They are always a good 

place to start.
17

professionals by co-training with the TIM community. 

Staff members at the Delaware Valley Regional 

Planning Commission co-train with TIM professionals 

in the region to gain a better understanding of TIM 

needs and to build trust and credibility with the TIM 

community. 

These early contacts could lead to the creation of an 

informal working group of transportation planners 

and TIM leaders that recognize the potentially significant benefit derived through collaboration. As early 

champions, their efforts would be devoted to outreach, education, and promotion of involvement and 

arranging an engagement process.

Connecting with Metropolitan 

Transportation Planners as a TIM 

Professional

When reaching out to transportation planners and the 

staff of an MPO, it is helpful to know some basic 

information about the job of a transportation planner 

and how TIM can support the planning effort. Local, 

regional, and statewide transportation planners are 

responsible for preparing and updating near-term and 

long-range plans to systematically maintain and 

improve the transportation system. These plans can 

improve the safety and efficiency of the current system while at the same time providing incremental 

capacity increases to accommodate anticipated population growth in the planning area. 

Every 4 to 5 years, MPOs are responsible for developing or updating the region’s transportation plan for 

the next 20 or more years. The regional investment 

program—in which funds are allocated to transportation projects—is updated every 1 or 2 years with a 4 

to 5 year horizon. For a project to be funded in the 

regional investment program, it must either be consistent with or included in the long-range plan.

TIM is considered an important strategy to promote 

safe and efficient transportation systems 

management and operations, so one of the best contacts at an MPO for the TIM community would be the 

planner in charge of transportation systems 

management. Another good contact would be the 

planner in charge of intelligent transportation 

systems (ITS) planning, since ITS such as closedcircuit television (CCTV) cameras and variable message signs are used to facilitate TIM and are often 

used by TIM responders. 

Alternatively, in regions with a population greater 

than 200,000, the staff member responsible for 

the congestion management process would be a 

prime contact for the TIM community because TIM is 

a significant tool for reducing congestion. For some 

MPOs, the person in charge of the congestion management process or planning for ITS or operations 

can be identified from the MPO website. In other 

regions, those roles may be minor and difficult to 

determine from the website. In that case, in mediumsized or smaller regions, making initial contact with 

the director of transportation planning or the 

MPO director would be most useful. In smaller 

MPOs, there may be only one staff person handling 

Transportation Systems Management and Operations 

(TSM&O) planning, ITS planning, and the CMP, which 

may be an advantage as this person can serve as a 

focal contact and may even become a champion for 

TIM on the planning side.

At first contact, the TIM professional should be ready 

to explain his or her interest in working with the MPO 

to help advance TIM in the region, which will help 

reach regional goals of safety, air quality improvement, and reliable travel. The TIM professional could 

request an initial one-on-one meeting or invite the 

MPO planner(s) to a meeting of TIM operators. 

During the meeting, one of the TIM champions 

should provide basic information on TIM priorities 

and needs and ask the MPO planner to provide some 

information on the planning process. As an additional 

step, a TIM champion could make presentations to 

the MPO board to make the case for funding for specific needs such as interagency training, crash investigation equipment, and other items. Human interaction is critical in making this connection, so it is very 

important to find a liaison or champion willing to lead 

the effort who has great inter-personal skills, cares 

about the effort, has energy, and wants to do it.

Human interaction is critical in making this connection, so it is 

very important to find a liaison or champion willing to lead the 

effort who has great inter-personal skills, cares about the effort, 

has energy, and wants to do it.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 18

Case Study: SEMCOG’s Annual TIM Partnering Workshops Promote Regional 

Transportation Operations in Michigan

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) has been involved with the TIM 

community since it adopted the Metropolitan Detroit Traffic Incident Management Committee in 2005, 

when SEMCOG participated in an FHWA-sponsored Regional Concept for Transportation Operations 

(RCTO) initiative designed to outline broad objectives to improve regional transportation operations. As 

a result of the RCTO process, the TIM committee merged with SEMCOG’s Regional Transportation 

Operations Coordinating Committee. Since then, the organization has hosted seven annual TIM 

Partnering Workshops for Regional Transportation Operations.

Participants at these workshops include staff from the Michigan DOT, Michigan State Police, local 

police and fire departments, County Road Commissions, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, 

Universities, private engineering consulting companies, and many others. The one-day workshops are 

designed primarily to enable practitioners and planners alike to improve their understanding and 

appreciation of the goals and roles of each responder group at an incident scene to facilitate safe, quick 

clearance. The workshop also serves as a progress report on the region’s efforts to respond to traffic 

incidents in a way that protects the safety of both travelers and responders and reduces travel delay for 

people and goods. Planners and practitioners are encouraged and expected to continue the 

collaborative efforts currently underway and to focus on working together more closely in the future.

Source: Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Regional Operations website.

http://www.semcog.org/RegionalOperations_Wkshop13.aspx

“When you get there, explain the process of 

planning, explain that you’re there to help. Ask 

where are responders having issues, where do 

they have needs, and what can we do to help 

you with that. The key is to come in as a 

resource.”

—Gary Milsaps, former director of Georgia DOT’s Highway 

Emergency Response Operators Program

Opportunities to Engage the TIM 

Community

Early engagement of the entire TIM community may 

best be accomplished through a meeting hosted by 

the MPO or co-hosted with the TIM Team champion. 

This first meeting allows participants to introduce 

themselves and briefly describe their role in TIM. The 

transportation planner could provide an overview of 

the purpose of regional planning and emphasize how 

the planning process provides a resource to help the 

TIM community improve their performance. Core discussion content could include the identification of 

current issues and needs that adversely impact each 

participant’s performance. 

 A desired outcome of this initial TIM community 

engagement is the identification of individuals who 

would commit further time to investigating effective 

ways to achieve sustained involvement of TIM professionals in the transportation planning process. It is 

useful to remember that like planners, responders 

are used to working with other agencies and often 

across jurisdictions during incident response. This 

commonality will help facilitate any working group’s 

efforts to determine effective ways to involve TIM in 

the transportation planning process and identify key 

individuals who might best be suited to the particular 

forms of involvement.

An optional approach to early engagement could be 

to select a particular situation, such as an upcoming 

special event or major construction project, to convene a meeting that includes TIM representatives 

alongside those responsible for planning and implementing the event/project. Provisions for emergency 

response, rapid ingress/egress, design for vehicle 

accommodation and staging, and command locations 

and coordination are all topics of concern to TIM representatives, and their input would benefit those 

responsible for the event/project. This type of firsthand experience of collaboration and coordination 

would serve as the foundation for promoting regular 

interaction and involvement.
19

Sustaining the interest and involvement of TIM 

responders beyond the State highway patrol/police 

and the DOTs involves capitalizing on early, quick 

wins to demonstrate that the MPO and the State 

DOT want to be involved in and promote TIM. DVRPC 

has successfully supported multiple TIM teams in its 

region since 1999, and their staff report that one of 

the first activities of the TIM teams was to ask the 

members about their needs and issues. DVRPC 

learned that ramp signing at interchanges was a 

major issue for a few of the groups. It was a relatively low-cost need that would have significant benefits for the responders in locating and responding to 

incidents. DVRPC worked with the New Jersey DOT 

and Pennsylvania DOT to create enhanced ramp designation signs and plan their placement at interchanges. 

Recognizing and learning from the unique and valuable expertise that each TIM partner contributes to 

the success of safe, quick incident clearance is 

another method to engage and keep a variety of TIM 

partners at the planning table. For example, in 

Atlanta, Georgia, the Traffic Incident Management 

Enhancement (TIME) Task Force leaders capitalized 

on the specialized expertise that regional towing professionals have in crucial clearance activities such as 

heavy equipment removal; now, towers provide training on this to other task force members.

In many cases, initial involvement of TIM representatives from the DOT, law enforcement, and/or fire and 

rescue will immediately activate the biggest players 

in TIM operations and management. They are likely to 

be in positions to attract the involvement of others in 

the TIM community and have ideas of when and how 

to achieve that involvement.

A challenge faced by planners in engaging the TIM 

community in planning is a high turnover rate of first 

responders and especially state police representatives. Establishing and maintaining an ongoing TIM 

committee allows the new members to be more easily brought in. In addition, a one-on-one meeting with 

the new member and the leader of the TIM committee can be an effective way to introduce him or her to 

the collaborative effort. 

What Can Be Accomplished?

Direct involvement of TIM professionals in the overall 

metropolitan transportation planning process will 

lead to accomplishments at many levels.

Involving the TIM Community in Planning

Regional and statewide transportation planners must 

operate in a fairly structured cycle of planning activities in order to meet certain State and/or Federal 

requirements. The “planning process” creates various committees that would benefit from occasional 

or regular participation by TIM professionals, such as: 

 Standing Committees – Many planning agencies 

have standing committees that provide technical or 

policy guidance in the development, implementation, and monitoring of the long-range transportation 

plan. Since these meetings are open to the public, 

TIM professionals would be welcome at any time. 

However, inviting TIM representatives at the beginning of the new planning cycle (as a means of introducing them to the entire process) or during plan 

implementation/monitoring (as a means of highlighting the value of coordination) may prove particularly 

productive.

 Special Committees – A growing number of MPOs 

and State DOTs have or are establishing committees 

(or subcommittees) with a particular focus on improving transportation system safety and efficiency 

through more effective management and operation. 

Such a committee would immediately benefit from 

direct involvement of TIM professionals, to the point 

where standing membership would be practical. 

Agendas for these committees are such that TIM 

professionals could be easily integrated at virtually 

any time.

 Task Forces – Some plan updates produce strategic 

initiatives that rely on a task force to investigate and 

make recommendations. Initiatives that involve such 

things as safety, reliability, emissions, delay, and/or 

system management and operations would likely 

benefit from including TIM professionals as members.

Some MPOs find it useful to host an ongoing group 

or team devoted to advancing TIM. For example, 

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission 

(DVRPC) manages several TIM task forces for its 

region, each focused around a different corridor. A 

planner from DVRPC noted that keys to the success 

of these teams were to allow the TIM community to 

take ownership of the group and elect a chair or cochairs from two different disciplines. The groups 

rotate meeting locations so that each organization 

has the opportunity to introduce the team to their 

facilities and equipment. 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 20

Guidance

Current & Future 

Issues

Potential & 

Preferred Solutions

Cost Feasible Plan

Implementing & 

Monitoring

Vision, Goals, Objectives, Performance 

Measures, and Standards of Performance

Safety, Operations, Reliability, Efficiency, 

Accessibility, Connectivity, Availability, Capacity

TIM Programs, TSM&O, Land Use, Active Modes, 

Closing Gaps, Expanding Service, Building More

Prioritizing Programs / Strategies / Projects, 

Determining Affordablity Over Time

Coordination, Partnering, Data Sharing, Action, 

Follow-up, Evaluation, Reporting, Refinement

The Transportation System and the Environment – 

Transportation planning organizations are operating in 

an era of significant financial constraint, even as 

issues of increasing congestion and worsening air 

quality continue in our urban areas. Congestion produced by non-recurring delay is a significant societal 

challenge in our metropolitan areas. Investments in 

TIM strategies have proven to be highly effective in 

reducing non-recurring delay, crash frequency and 

severity, and first responder exposure. Many of these 

investments are low-cost and produce high rates of 

return. 

Integrating TIM into Transportation 

Planning

Integrating TIM in the Development of the 

Metropolitan Transportation Plan

Metropolitan transportation planning is a vision and 

goal-driven process. Elected leaders, major providers 

of transportation facilities and services, and key user 

groups gather together and, with public input, go on 

to shape a vision of the future and establish goals 

that help describe that vision. 

The entire planning process is meant to frame how 

an area will grow (or change) and how agencies will 

meet the resulting near-term and long-range transportation demands. The development of the metropolitan transportation plan generally follows the fivestep process defined in the diagram below.

MPO Board Members, Elected Officials, & 

Community Leaders – These groups will understand 

more fully and more clearly (1) how TIM professionals 

support the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of 

the transportation system and (2) how the investment decisions they make can cost-effectively 

improve the safety and effectiveness of TIM professionals for the benefit of all users and the environment. 

Partnering Agencies and Other Providers –

Members of technical committees and/or subcommittees will establish or reinforce direct relationships 

with TIM representatives and determine more effective ways to communicate and coordinate. Their technical work in identifying existing and future transportation needs (e.g. safety, connectivity, reliability, 

redundancy, predictability, capacity) will broaden to 

include TIM perspectives on system management 

and operations. The integration of TIM-related elements into planned projects and programs will lead to 

greater returns on the investments being made. 

Opportunities to enhance user and responder safety, 

decrease non-recurring delay, and improve air quality 

will expand, as will the ability to monitor and measure 

progress toward performance goals and objectives 

associated with these benefits. 

Stakeholders and the General Public – These 

groups will achieve a heightened sense of awareness 

of the risks faced, services provided, and benefits 

derived from TIM responders. As an informed electorate, they will have a deeper understanding of the 

value derived from investments made to provide, 

train, equip, and coordinate TIM functions. By extension, they will be the direct benefactors of these 

investments, particularly the economic and societal 

benefits associated with faster emergency response 

times, decreased delay, lower fuel consumption, and 

reduced emissions. 

The TIM Community – Their participation will lead 

to more effective communication and coordination 

among themselves and with partnering agencies, 

other providers, and elected officials. A greater sense 

of interdependence will evolve among these partners. Their needs will be better understood and 

attract funding and political and community support 

for effective solutions. The safety of first responders 

will be improved as a result of reduced clearance 

times, which will decrease the exposure of on-scene 

personnel to the dangers of the roadway, such as 

being struck or injured in secondary incidents. 

Figure 2. Five-step process generally followed in developing a 

metropolitan transportation plan.
21

7 A “triple bottom line” expands the traditional performance reporting framework to take into account not just financial performance 

but also social and environmental performance as well.

Advocating for measurable TIM-related objectives 

requires linking regional goals in areas such as mobility, safety, and the environment to TIM priorities 

(responder/traveler safety and minimal incident clearance times). These priorities easily translate into 

strategic, measurable objectives and targeted performance measures that are mutually agreed to by those 

responsible for developing the Plan and their partnering agencies.

Current and Future Issues

Identifying Existing Needs – TIM professionals have 

a unique and valuable perspective on the transportation system; they see how and why it works and why 

it fails. They often see needs (physical and operational) that planners and engineers may not be aware 

of. As a group, they also have their own needs (e.g., 

better awareness, communications, and coordination) that would improve their safety and performance, which (in turn) would benefit virtually all 

users, providers, and the system as a whole. 

Mid-level TIM managers and field supervisors would 

find involvement in such activities to be very productive and potentially fruitful in getting TIM needs met.

Potential and Preferred Solutions

Solving Near-Term and Long-Term Transportation 

Issues – TIM professionals can bring a variety of techniques (or strategies) to bear that will support and 

help accomplish the objectives set forth by the MPO. 

Issues of non-recurring delay, system reliability, traveler safety, worker and responder safety, energy efficiency, and emissions can all be addressed with great 

effectiveness using TIM techniques.

Oftentimes, from the planners’ perspective, existing 

problems may appear to be difficult to solve with 

low-cost (affordable) solutions that can be rapidly 

deployed. However, within the TIM community, lowcost solutions have often come about due in part to 

limited resources. Field-tested TIM managers are 

trained problem-solvers; they focus on increasing 

responder and victim safety, reducing clearance 

times and exposure to secondary incidents, and minimizing delay and emissions. They make for great collaborators in developing effective solutions that produce triple bottom line benefits.7

There are opportunities for TIM professionals to 

influence and provide input at each of these steps. 

Even before this process begins, TIM professionals 

should be involved at the committee or task force 

level of the MPO to provide input on TIM priorities, 

needs, and possible strategies that could be funded 

through the planning and investment decisionmaking 

process at the MPO. 

One of the most effective ways for the TIM community to have input ready for the development of 

the metropolitan transportation plan is to coordinate 

with the MPO to develop an operations or 

TIM-focused strategic plan that presents a comprehensive vision for TIM (or overall operations) in 

the region and measurable objectives, performance 

measures, and action items/strategies for reaching 

those objectives. Then, when it is time to develop or 

update the metropolitan transportation plan, the 

TIM community has documented and collaborative 

input that can be woven into the planning process 

to support regional mobility, safety, and environmental goals.

Guidance

Visioning – Elected officials and community leaders 

are often called upon to provide a vision for the future 

of the region. High-level officials from within the TIM 

profession could serve an advisory role and provide 

key insights to this visioning process. A respected 

TIM official from within the community can readily 

serve as a TIM champion to virtually any MPO Board 

or other leadership group responsible for developing 

the vision.

Setting Goals and Objectives – Setting meaningful 

goals and objectives that tie directly to the vision and 

lead to desirable plan solutions is always a challenge. 

Crafting goals that are specific and developing supporting objectives that are measurable can also be 

difficult. Senior managers from within the TIM community (TIM Leaders) would be very effective 

contributors to this effort. TIM professionals are 

mission-driven and experienced drafters of goals 

and objectives that support more effective transportation system management and operations. TIM 

Leaders working alongside other local, regional, and 

State leaders will establish a mutually agreeable set 

of goals that define what the Plan is to accomplish. 

TIM Leaders can be expected to show strong support for goals focused on transportation system 

safety and efficiency.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 22

Regional TIM Priorities and Performance 

Measures

Establishing specific objectives for TIM and related 

performance measures within the context of the metropolitan transportation plan is an important step in 

advancing TIM needs and strategies in the plan. The 

objectives and performance measures selected for the 

plan will help guide the selection of projects and programs to be funded for years into the future. Depending 

on the region, the metropolitan transportation plan 

may include objectives related to higher level outcomes, such as reliability and non-recurring congestion, and then reference an operations or TIM-focused 

plan for more objectives and performance measures 

that directly support the higher level outcomes. 

As mentioned earlier, some regions go into more 

detail on operations strategies, such as TIM, for a 

separate operations or ITS plan that feeds into the 

overarching metropolitan transportation plan. For 

examples of this, see Portland Metro’s Transportation 

Systems Management and Operations Plan and 

DVRPC’s Transportation Operations Master Plan. 

Supporting objectives and performance measures in 

the metropolitan transportation plan that are directly 

impacted by TIM strategies such as reliability and 

non-recurring delay/congestion will help to advance 

TIM as a solution in the overall planning process. 

Cost Feasible Plan

TIM officials and managers can provide important 

input on the cost over time for TIM improvements as 

well as provide input on the priorities of TIM-related 

projects and programs that will help achieve TIM 

objectives. 

Implementation and Monitoring

TIM professionals are implementers, paying close 

attention to performance and striving for improvement because their lives depend on it. They collect 

data and generate performance reports to support 

performance evaluations and target areas for continued improvement. Because of this, the TIM community can be very supportive in implementing and 

monitoring solutions, often collecting data that may 

support the monitoring process. Collaborating with 

the TIM community during preliminary and final plan 

design provides opportunities for project refinements 

that meet the needs of responders at little or no additional cost. Coordinating with them in advance of 

construction projects can improve work zone safety, 

expedite construction, and reduce delay and emissions. Again, the TIM Professionals can readily support the collaboration and coordination, while TIM 

Managers can be sources of valuable data for monitoring progress toward mutually beneficial goals and 

objectives.

Case Study: DVRPC Surveys TIM Practitioners to Identify Regional Priorities

DVRPC’s TIM Program is integrated into the MPO’s planning processes through the long-range plan, 

the congestion management process, and the Transportation Operations Master Plan. The 

Transportation Operations Master Plan is a component of DVRPC’s adopted 2035 long-range plan and 

was developed in cooperation with DVRPC’s Transportation Operations Task Force, which is composed 

of traffic, transit, and emergency responders in the region. 

As part of the Transportation Operations Master Plan planning process, DVRPC surveyed not just 

county planners and transportation operations center staff, but also county 9-1-1 center personnel, 

State police officers, local emergency responders, and others for their inputs on regional transportation 

priorities. Because members of all the region’s incident management task forces were surveyed, 

emergency response personnel represent the largest number of the respondents, and their interests 

greatly influenced the Master Plan. These survey results became a central factor in the Plan’s goals 

and objectives as well as its projects and programs. An interesting, high-priority program that was 

recommended in this plan is DVRPC’s “Incident Management Grant Initiative.” The intent of the 

initiative would be to issue small-scale grants, $70,000 per year in total, to local responders and county 

9-1-1 centers to purchase equipment for highway incident management. Eligible projects could include 

traffic control equipment, detour route and reference location sign implementation, communications 

equipment for interagency operability, traffic signal power interrupt devices, and training courses. This 

is envisioned to be a competitive program that would be structured in a way to foster greater 

interagency cooperation. The initiative is gaining support, but is currently not funded.

Source: DVRPC, Transportation Operations Master Plan, July 2009,

http://www.dvrpc.org/reports/09049.pdf
23

identification of several communications infrastructure 

improvements with multiple benefits that extend to 

other transportation providers and operators as well as 

the traveling public.

As part of a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

initiative, 11 States reached consensus on three 

objectives and related performance measures for 

their TIM teams (Table 1). These objectives could be 

easily converted into targeted, time-bound objectives 

and used in a metropolitan transportation plan or 

related operations plan.

In June of 2008, a TIM working group in Hampton 

Roads, Virginia, hosted by the Hampton Roads 

Transportation Planning Organization and the Virginia 

DOT, formalized the Hampton Roads Regional 

Concept for Transportation Operations – Traffic 

Incident Management (RCTO-TIM). The RCTO-TIM, 

developed by a multi-agency, multi-disciplinary group 

of transportation planners, operators, and public 

safety professionals, established a mutual set of 

objectives, performance measures, and actions to 

advance TIM in the region. Since the development of 

the RCTO-TIM, TIM performance measures have 

been tracked by the Virginia DOT, and funding has 

been provided through the MPO’s transportation 

improvement program for the purchase of TIMrelated equipment. The following diagram shows the 

TIM objectives and performance measures in the 

Hampton Roads’ RCTO-TIM.

The Regional TIM Planning Sheets in Appendix A of 

this primer provide a large sample of TIM objectives, 

performance measures, and data needs that can be 

consulted when selecting TIM objectives for the 

reader’s region. In addition, there are TIM goals, 

objectives, and performance measures that have 

been proposed at the national level that may provide 

a starting point for regions just beginning to define 

specific TIM objectives. 

For example, the National Unified Goal contains three 

objectives that could be transformed into specific, 

measurable statements and included as objectives in 

a transportation plan. The objectives of the National 

Unified Goal are:

 Responder safety; 

 Safe, quick clearance; and 

 Prompt, reliable, interoperable communications. 

Responder safety is readily supported by all organizations involved with planning and providing transportation 

facilities and services. It directly links to any goal 

related to transportation system safety. Rapid, safe 

clearance of incidents is an objective that directly supports the goals of transportation system efficiency 

and regional air quality. A central function of every 

MPO is to foster and support interagency cooperation, 

coordination, and communication. Similarly, the success of TIM professionals depends on effective communication. An objective regarding prompt, reliable, 

and interoperable communications could lead to the 

Case Study: Portland Focuses on Performance Measurements to

Gauge Investments

The Portland Metro’s 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) outlines the use of a performance 

measurement system that evaluates investments in the transportation system to determine whether 

they have achieved the desired outcomes and provided the best returns. The evaluation element of the 

RTP performance measurement system comes into play every 4 years, during the periodic plan update 

cycle. During these updates, the region revisits its goals and objectives for the transportation system 

and develops and refines an investment strategy. In previous RTPs, the success of the investment 

strategy was measured narrowly, considering whether the plan met vehicle level of service standards 

and mode share targets for walking, bicycling, transit use and shared ride. The performance 

measurement system introduced with the 2035 RTP update adopts an outcomes-based performance 

evaluation and substantially broadens the performance measures applied to track how well the 

investment strategy addresses the full set of goals for public investments, including incident-related 

delay. One of the plan’s stated performance measures is “average incident duration on the throughway 

system.” 

Source: Portland Metro, 2035 Regional Transportation Plan,

http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=25036
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 24

OBJECTIVE 1

Increase Responder Safety by eliminating 

struck by incidents and fatalities

TARGET 

Increase Responder Safety by eliminating 

struck by incidents and fatalities OBJECTIVE 2

Decrease Incident Clearance Time 

TARGET 

Annually Reduce Incident Clearance Time by 

5.5 Percent or 1.5 Minutes

OBJECTIVE 3

Decrease Secondary Incident Occurrences

TARGET 

Reduce Secondary Accidents by 25 Percent 

Over Three Years

OBJECTIVE 4

Improve Inter-Agency Communication 

During Incidents

TARGET 

Annual Recurring Survey of 

Stakeholder Agencies

OBJECTIVE 5

Identify Existing Regional Incident 

Management Resources and Establish 

Plan for Inter-Agency Utilization and 

Acquisition

TARGET 

Identify Resource Agreements, Mutual 

Training Agreements and Information 

Sharing, Annually Update For All 

Stakeholder Agencies

OBJECTIVE 6

Establish a Regional Incident Management 

Pro-Active and Post-Incident Review 

Consortium

TARGET 

Maintain a (Multi-Agency) Major Post-Incident 

Review Process and Schedule Routine 

Regional Incident Management Awareness 

Committee Meetings Hampton 

Roads 

RCTO

 Goals that address the management and operation 

of the transportation system, travel time reliability, 

non-recurring congestion, air quality, and safety.

 Objectives and performance measures that focus on 

non-recurring delay/congestion, reliability, secondary 

incidents, responder safety, or incident clearance 

time.

8 Federal Highway Administration, Focus States Initiative: Traffic Incident Management Performance Measures Final Report, 

December 2009, Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-10-010. Available at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10010. 

9 Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization, Resource Document Hampton Roads Highway Incident Management (HIM) 

Regional Concept for Transportation Operation (RCTO) Version 1.0, July 2008. (Unpublished). Available at:

http://www.hrrcto.org/pdf/Hampton%20Roads%20RCTO%20SRH%207-21.pdf, last accessed July 22, 2013.

Examples of How TIM has been Integrated 

into the Transportation Plan

Although there typically is no “chapter” on TIM in a 

metropolitan transportation plan, there should be evidence of TIM-related considerations in any plan prepared by an organization that has been deliberate 

about including TIM professionals and incorporating 

TIM needs into the planning process. Plans that 

address TIM needs could include:

Consensus-based, Program-level TIM Performance Measures Developed by Focus States

TIM Program Objectives Related Performance Measures

Reduce "Roadway" Clearance Time Time between first recordable awareness of incident by a responsible 

agency and first confirmation that all lanes are available for traffic flow.

Reduce "Incident" Clearance Time Time between first recordable awareness of incident by a responsible 

agency and time at which the last responder has left the scene.

Reduce the Number of Secondary 

Crashes

Number of unplanned crashes beginning with the time of detection of the 

primary incident where a collision occurs either a) within the incident scene 

or b) within the queue, including the opposite direction, resulting from the 

original incident.

Table 1. TIM program objectives and performance measures developed through the FHWA Focus States Initiative.8

Figure 3. Hampton Roads’ objectives and performance targets for the region’s regional concept for transportation 

operations (RCTO). Source: Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization.9
25

management, preservation and operations.” To support this goal, TIM is one of the areas emphasized in the 

plan’s congestion management process.

The Denver Regional Council of Governments 2035 

Metro Vision Regional Transportation Plan also includes 

TIM improvements and contains an air quality goal that 

can be directly supported by TIM, “Reduce the annual 

per capita greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector by 60 percent by 2035.” The plan 

includes a policy that is also supportive of TIM and other 

operations strategies: “Policy #4. Management and 

Operations. Make the best use of existing and future 

transportation facilities by implementing measures that 

actively manage and integrate systems to optimize system performance and safety, provide accurate real-time 

information, reduce the demand for single-occupant 

motor vehicle travel, and reduce per capita Vehicle 

Miles Traveled.”

TIM-related Objectives and Performance 

Measures

Objectives and performance measures relevant to 

TIM can be found integrated into the overall objectives and performance measures of the metropolitan 

transportation plan or specifically included in operations or ITS strategic plans that are linked to the metropolitan transportation plan. TIM objectives and 

measures may also be included in the congestion 

management process component of the metropolitan transportation plan. Below are three examples 

that illustrate each case.

The 2035 Regional Transportation Plan Update developed by the Madison, Wisconsin, metropolitan planning organization and its planning partners includes 

several TIM-specific performance measures and 

objectives in the form of performance targets in the 

congestion management process portion of the plan. 

These objectives lead to the recommendation of TIM 

strategies and projects in the plan.

The performance measures, threshold goals, and 

monitoring schedule from the Madison plan are shown 

in table 2.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) 

included objectives and performance measures 

explicitly for TIM in its 2011 Regional Operations 

Plan. A specific TIM objective contained in the 

Regional Operations Plan 2011 is: “Manage and coordinate incident and emergency response activities.” 

Performance measures relevant for TIM include: 

 Strategies that employ TIM capabilities to meet a 

regional need as an alternative to other approaches 

or in concert with complementary efforts.

 Programs/Projects/Actions that serve as evidence of 

a commitment to support and advance TIM.

Evidence that TIM is incorporated in the planning process may include: 

 Leadership in the form of a TIM representative as an 

advisor or ex-officio member of the policy committee or regional planning board.

 Collaboration through on-going involvement of TIM 

professionals in committees, subcommittees, or 

task forces devoted to improving the management 

and operation of the transportation system.

 Coordination through the involvement of TIM professionals in monitoring, data sharing, reporting, and 

debriefing.

At the strategic level, TIM may have its most logical 

connection to the efforts each region devotes to efficient transportation system management and operation. Groups that are dedicated to this aspect of transportation system performance share a great deal in 

common with TIM professionals. Some regions have 

advanced TSM&O to a stage where it warrants its 

own planning document and committed level of funding. 

Other groups, with a focus on congestion management and/or on transportation safety, would benefit 

from regular engagement with TIM professionals. 

Again, some regions may make such groups responsible for a Congestion Management Plan or a Regional 

Safety Plan. Either or both of these types of plans 

may have dedicated funding that establishes them as 

a program, with the committee producing the annual 

list of investments to make.

Examples of components from metropolitan transportation plans that demonstrate the incorporation of 

TIM are given below for each type of “evidence” that 

may be included.

Regional Goals that can be Directly

Effected by TIM

The 2040 Regional Transportation Plan for the Pima 

Association of Governments, which includes Tucson, 

Arizona, includes eight goals, one of which is directly 

supported through TIM: “System Performance: 

Unobstructed mobility through efficient system 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 26

“Percent of traffic signals equipped with emergency 

vehicle preemption” and “Mean & median incident 

clearance times.” 

In the Genesee Transportation Council’s metropolitan 

transportation plan, a performance measure for TIM 

is integrated into the set of performance measures 

used to address all aspects of transportation system 

performance. This plan is used as a sample plan 

incorporating TIM in the next chapter.

DVRPC is gathering operations data to compare incident duration times along corridors where TIM teams 

currently exist. Preliminary results suggest that the

Performance Measure Threshold Goals Monitoring Schedule

Freeway Non-Recurring Congestion 70% of non-recurring congestion 

should not last longer than 30 

minutes

Selected corridors beginning in 

2013

Freeway Incident Index Total lane-hours of closure/average 

weekday < 2.0

Requires data tabulation beginning 

in 2012

Urban Arterial Street Travel Time 

Index

1.75 (traffic speeds on 30-40 mph 

roadways should not experience 

incident-related speed reductions of 

more than 30 percent)

Selected corridors beginning in 

2013

Urban Arterial Street Non-Recurring 

Delay

Incident clearance average < 1 hour Requires data tabulation beginning 

in 2012

Special Event traffic management 

plans in place for all events

Currently Implemented

Table 2. Performance measures and targets from the Madison, Wisconsin area’s metropolitan transportation plan.

Case Study: PAG Aims to Increase Safety through TIM

Safety was identified as a top concern by the public during planning for the 2040 RTP, and more than 

10 implementation strategies are dedicated to the topic, including TIM. Traffic incidents, such as 

crashes, stalled vehicles, traffic stops, roadway debris, weather events, construction and special 

events, are estimated to cause nearly 60 percent of the total delay experienced by motorists in the 

United States. Traffic congestion caused by these incidents affects the safety and mobility of all 

travelers.

TIM is an effective transportation improvement program that works to reduce the effects of incidentrelated congestion. Incident management detects incidents when they occur, reducing the time for 

responding vehicles to arrive and the time required for traffic to return to normal conditions. Many 

public sector and private sector partners are involved in traffic incident management, but it is not a core 

function of any agency. The 2040 RTP Implementation Strategies encourage the jurisdictions and 

private sector partners to establish a formal traffic incident management program in order to better 

coordinate the operations and responses of the many entities involved, including first responders and 

police.

Source: Pima Association of Governments, 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, http://www.pagnet.org/

programs/transportationplanning/2040regionaltransportationplan/tabid/809/default.aspx

longer TIM teams have been meeting, the shorter 

the average incident duration times in those corridors 

compared to corridors where TIM teams have more 

recently formed. 

TIM Strategies

The examples below illustrate the inclusion of TIM 

strategies into metropolitan transportation plans.

The Pima Association of Governments 2040 RTP 

includes a significant discussion of TIM and a recommendation for a formal TIM team as one of its plan 

implementation strategies:
27

least every 4 years to identify those projects or strategies from the metropolitan transportation plan that 

it plans to undertake in the next 4 years. TIM projects may be eligible for Federal funding through several different funding programs described in the table 

at the end of this section.

Regional investments that can benefit TIM vary 

widely. Some investments may meet a specific TIM 

need (e.g., TIM training, specialized first responder 

equipment) that is only of direct benefit to TIM professionals. Other investments may, in fact, be motivated by a need that is seemingly unrelated to TIM, 

but still provides direct benefit to the TIM community. 

Listed below are some examples of regional investments that benefit TIM:

 Towing Recovery Incentive Program – Paying an 

incentive to towing companies when an incident is 

cleared within an established timeframe (e.g., 90 

minutes). Such a program could be implemented as 

a pilot to prove its effectiveness, possibly for the 

more complex incidents (e.g. crashes involving 

trucks, heavy vehicles, hazardous materials, etc.).

 Training, Materials, and Supplies – Establishing 

or expanding a “joint response” training program, 

keeping it updated, and delivering it frequently 

enough to keep field personnel current in established response methods. 

 ITS – Investments in technology to detect, measure, and visually monitor incidents and to improve 

the speed, accuracy, and reliability of communicaThe 2040 Regional Transportation Plan for the OhioKentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments 

includes TIM strategies in both the congestion management process and ITS components. The plan recommends “Implementation of the State’s 

Transportation Operations Infrastructure Plan” and 

the “Development and implementation of an 

enhanced Regional Incident Management Plan.”

TIM Programs/Projects/Actions

The 2040 RTP for the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana 

Regional Council of Governments also includes specific TIM projects with estimated costs as part of the 

cost feasible portion of the plan. These projects are 

taken from the ITS architecture and strategic plan for 

the region and incorporated into the plan. Below is a 

table from the RTP highlighting several TIM-related 

projects, such as emergency vehicle signal priority, 

increase service patrols, and additional freeway message signs. 

Regional Investment in TIM

When TIM is understood as a core element of providing a safe, efficient, and more sustainable transportation system and included in the metropolitan transportation plan, elected officials, regional leaders, and 

citizens respond with support for TIM investments. 

TIM investments may come from a variety of sources, 

such as operating agency budgets, but all TIM investments for the region that receive Federal funds must 

be included in the MPO’s transportation improvement program (TIP). The MPO updates the TIP at 

Project Cost

Traveler information on Cincinnati parking facilities – Variable 

Message Sign, mobile or on-board notifications

$1,250,000

Transit Automated Vehicle Locator system $450,000

Work zone safety improvements $75,000

I-75 and I-471 ramp metering $6,000,000

Bus signal priority along key transit corridors $800,000

Emergency vehicle signal priority $800,000

Increase service patrols $1,600,000

Transit vehicle updates including electronic fare boxes and 

real-time passenger count

$3,000,000

Additional ARTIMIS message signs (I-74, I-275 and SR 32) $1,650,000

Total $15,625,000

Table 3. TIM-related projects listed in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments’ regional 

transportation plan.

Source: Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, June 2012.10

10 Available at: http://www.oki.org/departments/transportation/2040.html. 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 28

 Highway Service Patrols – Assist with incident 

scene management and quick clearance activities 

and deal with minor incidents (e.g., flat tires, vehicles out of gas, etc.) to help free up State DOT, law 

enforcement and emergency services resources 

and to reduce delay associated with minor incidents. Highway Service Patrols are cost-effective 

because they can leverage private resources 

through sponsors such as insurance companies.

Obtaining and maintaining funding for TIM is a significant challenge. This may be addressed through marketing the benefits of the existing TIM investments or 

efforts, such as documenting the benefits of using a 

TIM-related monitoring system at a high-profile event. 

Regions frequently have difficulty successfully competing smaller-scale TIM projects with other larger 

projects. Some MPOs, such as DVRPC, use their 

planning funds to support TIM with short-term mapping projects, conference hosting, and TIM training. 

tions for a particular component of the transportation system (e.g., freeways, arterials, transit-ways) 

may be a sought-after investment by a local or State 

DOT. Such information and technology would be of 

significant benefit to TIM professionals.

 Incident Management Equipment – Equipment 

needs can range from traffic cones and flares to 

specialized towing and recovery vehicles to protective gear for first responders. Each type of investment contributes to responder or traveler 

safety, improved clearance time, system reliability, 

and reduced delay and emissions.

 Collaboration and Coordination – Staff time 

devoted to supporting not only the planning process, but the ongoing efforts to coordinate communications, actions, and follow-up improves the 

efficiency of each organization involved with the 

transportation system and its performance.

 Highway/Freeway Vehicle Pullouts and Turnarounds – These facilities may be called for as a 

part of improvement projects to support improved 

maintenance and/or policing. Such facilities can 

also be of significant value to TIM professionals, if 

properly located to support rapid response for road 

assistance programs and/or towing assistance to 

incidents.

Federal Funding Program Purpose Sample of Eligible Activities 

Related to TIM

Congestion Mitigation and 

Air Quality Improvement 

Program (CMAQ)

Provides a flexible funding source to 

State and local governments for 

transportation projects and programs to 

help meet the requirements of the 

Clean Air Act. Funding is available to 

reduce congestion and improve air 

quality for areas that do not meet the 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

for ozone, carbon monoxide, or 

particulate matter (nonattainment 

areas) as well as former nonattainment 

areas that are now in compliance 

(maintenance areas).11

• Projects that improve traffic flow, 

including projects to improve 

signalization, construct HOV lanes, 

improve intersections, add turning 

lanes, improve transportation 

systems management and 

operations that mitigate congestion 

and improve air quality, and 

implement ITS and other CMAQeligible projects, including projects 

to improve incident and 

emergency response or improve 

mobility, such as real-time traffic, 

transit, and multimodal traveler 

information. 

• Purchase of integrated, interoperable 

emergency communications 

equipment.12

Table 4. Description of Federal funding programs that may support TIM-related activities.

11 FHWA, MAP-21 Fact Sheets – Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program.

Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/cmaq.cfm. 

12 Ibid.
29

13 FHWA MAP-21 Fact Sheets – Highway Safety Improvement Program. Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/hsip.cfm.

14 USC, Title 23 Section 148. Highway safety improvement program. Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/legislation.cfm.

15 FHWA, MAP-21 Fact Sheets – National Highway Performance Program. Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/nhpp.cfm.

16 USC, Title 23 Section 101. Definitions and declaration of policy. Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/legislation.cfm. 

17 FHWA, MAP-21 Fact Sheets – National Highway Performance Program. Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/nhpp.cfm.

18 FHWA, MAP-21 Fact Sheets –Surface Transportation Program. Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/stp.cfm.

19 Ibid.

20 FHWA, MAP-21 Fact Sheets – Metropolitan Planning. Available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/mp.cfm.

Federal Funding Program Purpose Sample of Eligible Activities 

Related to TIM

Highway Safety 

Improvement Program 

(HSIP)

To achieve a significant reduction in 

traffic fatalities and serious injuries on 

all public roads, including non-Stateowned public roads and roads on tribal 

lands. A highway safety improvement 

project is any strategy, activity or 

project on a public road that is 

consistent with the data-driven State 

Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) 

and corrects or improves a hazardous 

road location or feature or addresses a 

highway safety problem.13

• Installation of a priority control 

system for emergency vehicles at 

signalized intersections.

• Collection, analysis, and 

improvement of safety data.

• Planning integrated interoperable 

emergency communications 

equipment, operational activities, or 

traffic enforcement activities 

(including police assistance) relating 

to work zone safety.14

National Highway 

Performance Program 

(NHPP)

To support the condition and 

performance of the National Highway 

System (NHS), for the construction of 

new facilities on the NHS, and to 

ensure that investments of Federal-aid 

funds in highway construction are 

directed to support progress toward the 

achievement of performance targets 

established in an asset management 

plan of a State for the NHS.15

• Operational improvements of NHS 

segments, which include capital 

improvements for installation of 

traffic surveillance and control 

equipment, computerized signal 

systems, motorist information 

systems, integrated traffic control 

systems, incident management 

programs, and transportation 

demand management facilities, 

strategies, and programs.16

• Capital and operating costs for traffic 

and traveler information, monitoring, 

management, and control facilities 

and programs.

• Infrastructure-based ITS capital 

improvements.17

Surface Transportation 

Program (STP)

Provides flexible funding that may be 

used by States and localities for 

projects to preserve and improve the 

conditions and performance on any 

Federal-aid highway, bridge and tunnel 

projects on any public road, pedestrian 

and bicycle infrastructure, and transit 

capital projects, including intercity bus 

terminals.18

• Operational improvements for 

highways.

• Capital and operating costs for traffic 

monitoring, management and control 

facilities and programs, including 

advanced truck stop electrification.

• Infrastructure-based ITS capital 

improvements.19

Metropolitan Planning Establishes a cooperative, continuous, 

and comprehensive framework for 

making transportation investment 

decisions in metropolitan areas.20

Planning funds may provide for MPO 

staff support for TIM training, 

coordination, regional TIM guideline 

development, minor studies, and other 

staff activities to support regional TIM 

programs. 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 30

Case Study: TIM Plays Leading Role in DVRPC’s Data-Driven Future

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) launched its Traffic Incident Management 

Program in 1999. Since then, it has administered and supported seven traffic incident management 

task forces within the region and developed two software programs to improve incident management 

responses and foster interagency coordination. One of the programs, IDRuM (Interactive Detour Route 

Mapping), is an internet application used to access official Pennsylvania DOT and New Jersey DOT 

detour routes covering five Pennsylvania and eight New Jersey counties.

DVRPC, in conjunction with regional transportation agencies, also developed the “Regional Integrated 

Multi-Modal Information Sharing” (RIMIS) program, a web-based information exchange network with 

the ability to connect highway operation centers, transit control centers, and 9-1-1 call centers in the 

Delaware Valley. RIMIS was designed so that agencies can receive real-time messages about 

incidents, construction and maintenance activity, and special events that impact highways and transit. 

For a typical incident or event, a traffic operations center operator will input, via pull-down menus, the 

incident location, type of incident, its impact on traffic, and the anticipated duration of the incident. 

Another feature of RIMIS is the ability to give local responders access to custom “Video Walls” of DOT 

CCTVs. For example, several local fire departments purchased large video screens and installed them 

in their fire engine rooms. Before going out on a call, they can check their RIMIS Video Wall for best 

access to a scene or to ensure that they are bringing the correct equipment with them.

In addition to providing situational awareness and up-to-date information accessible to all responders, 

the RIMIS system also functions as a data collection mechanism, amassing a wealth of data about both 

the incidents that occur throughout the region as well as the response to them. This data can be used 

as a basis for identifying needs and creating long-term performance measures, which are an 

increasingly important factor in funding allocation decisions, as well as validating the need for ongoing 

program funding during periods of budget reduction. 

At present, personnel from nearly 60 entities are using the system and DVRPC will continue to roll out 

the RIMIS program in areas of the region not currently being served. Entities using the system at 

present include:

 Toll road authorities

 Pennsylvania and New Jersey DOTs

 Regional/County 9-1-1 Centers

 Office of Emergency Management Centers

 County Traffic Operation Centers

 Local fire, police, EMS

 Bridge authorities

 Department of Environmental Protection

 Public Works Departments 

For more information, contact Laurie Matkowski, Manager, Office of Transportation Operations 

Management, at 215-238-2853 or lmatkowski@dvrpc.org;

or visit www.dvrpc.org/Operations/RIMIS.htm

Sources: Laurie Matkowski, “Incident Management in the DVRPC Region,” presentation, The State of 

the Practice: Putting Information into the Hands of the Practitioners, Friday, June 15, 2012. Also, 

DVRPC Web site, Regional Integrated Multi-Modal Information Sharing Project web page.

http://www.dvrpc.org/Operations/RIMIS.htm.
31

There are several knowledge resources available that can help transportation planners 

gain a better understanding of TIM needs, priorities, and partners. There are also 

resources that can be used by planners to support inter-agency TIM program 

development through a standard assessment, toolbox, sample agreements, 

and TIM plans. This section provides a guide to resources that will 

provide planners with more detail on TIM and will provide additional 

ideas on how to take the next steps. 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 32

Federal Highway Administration Traffic 

Incident Management Website

(http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/about/tim.htm)

This is a helpful initial resource to browse for basic as 

well as more in-depth information on TIM from a 

transportation point of view. It provides fundamental 

information on what is TIM and who is involved in 

TIM. It also contains links to several general, easy-tounderstand handbooks on TIM from FHWA:

2010 Traffic Incident Management Handbook

Update

(http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/publications/timhandbook/index.htm)

This includes the latest advances in TIM programs and 

practices across the country and offers insights into innovations in TIM tools and technologies. It also contains links to interagency agreements for TIM. The 

handbook includes these sections:

 Introduction: Overview of Traffic Incident Management 

 TIM Strategic Program Elements: Programmatic 

structure and institutional coordination necessary for 

a successful TIM program.

 TIM Tactical Program Elements: Full range of onscene operations.

 TIM Support Program Elements: Communications 

and technical aspects of successful TIM programs.

 A quick resource guide titled, “Want to Know More,” 

follows each chapter and directs readers to supplemental information associated with the specific 

chapter content.

Best Practices in Traffic Incident Management

(http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10050/

index.htm)

This report will give planners a good understanding 

of the challenges encountered by TIM professionals 

and practices for overcoming them. It describes 

task-specific and cross-cutting challenges commonly encountered by TIM responders and novel and 

effective strategies for overcoming these issues and 

challenges (i.e., best practices). Cross-cutting challenges of interest to planners include interagency 

coordination and communication, technology procurement and deployment, and performance measurement.

Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation for Traffic 

Incident Management Applications

(http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12045/

index.htm) 

This publication provides more advanced material 

for planners looking to predict what the impacts of 

TIM strategies will be at the planning stage of project development and to monitor the effects of TIM 

programs. It provides a synthesis of analysis, modeling, and simulation methods for incident impacts. 

The focus is on the effects of incidents on congestion and reliability as well as secondary incidents, 

for the purpose of estimating TIM benefits and 

evaluating programs and proposed strategies.

4. Information Resources for Planners on TIM
33

The I-95 Corridor Coalition Quick Clearance 

Document Library

(http://www.i95coalition.org/i95/Training/

QuickClearanceWorkshop/tabid/188/Default.aspx)

The I-95 Corridor Coalition’s website contains many 

TIM resources, but one of the most relevant resources 

for transportation planners is the selection of Quick 

Clearance Documents available from the web address 

above. It contains a collection of interagency agreements, plans, and policy documents contributed by 

State and local agencies. Also available from that 

page is the Quick Clearance Toolkit that offers policymakers and practitioners a roadmap for developing a 

TIM program. 

The TIM Network

(http://timnetwork.org/ )

The TIM Network is a professional network of individuals from across the country who are interested in 

connecting with other TIM professionals from multiple disciplines and staying up-to-date with efforts to 

advance TIM.

National Unified Goal (NUG) from the National 

Traffic Incident Management Coalition

(http://ntimc.transportation.org/Pages/

NationalUnifiedGoal%28NUG%29.aspx)

The National Unified Goal (NUG) consists of the following three major goals, which are supported by 18 

strategies: 

 Responder safety

 Safe, quick clearance, and

 Prompt, reliable, interoperable communications.

The NUG was developed through a consensus process by representatives of the major national organizations representing the many disciplines that 

respond to traffic incidents and is being implemented 

through State, regional and local traffic incident management partnerships. The website listed above provides information and outreach materials on the NUG.

Traffic Incident Management Self Assessment 

(http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/preparedness/

tim/self.htm)

The purpose of the Traffic Incident Management Self 

Assessment is to provide a formal process for State 

and local transportation, public safety, and private 

sector partners to collaboratively assess their traffic 

incident management programs and identify opportunities for improvement. The assessment provides a 

tool that MPOs can use to bring together TIM partners in the region to evaluate the current components of a coordinated TIM program in the area and 

identify areas for additional effort. 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 34
35
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 36

This section of the primer provides one- to two-page information sheets that group together similar TIM objectives under major categories of outcomes related to system performance or operations activities. The purpose 

of these sheets is to give planners and TIM professionals tangible examples of TIM objectives that can be drawn 

from, in whole or in part, to develop metropolitan transportation plans or related operations or TIM-focused 

plans. The sheets contain sample TIM objectives, performance measures, data required, and sample TIM strategies that may be considered to meet the objectives. In addition, any known safety impacts that may be realized 

through the use of the sample TIM strategies are noted.

Responder and Motorist Safety

General Description The focus of these objectives is on improving the safety of traffic incident responders at the scene and in transit to and from the scene and of motorists involved in 

the incident. 

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce responder stuck-by incidents by X percent from this year’s level by 2015.

• Decrease responder traffic incidents going to or from incident scenes by X percent 

from this year’s level by 2015.

• Reduce the total number of responder fatalities for the next 5 years by X percent of 

the previous 5-year total. 

• Increase the percentage of accident victims who survive traffic incidents. 

Performance 

Measures 

• Number of traffic incident responder struck-by incidents per year.

• Number of responder incidents occurring while in transit to and from incident scenes 

per year.

• Number of responder fatalities during incident response over 5 years.

• Percent of accident victim survival.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Responder safety incident records including stuck-by incidents, responder traffic 

incidents, and responder fatalities. Accident victim survival rates.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Safety and incident reports from TIM responder agencies and partners including 

police, fire/EMS, towing, HAZMAT, DOTs, and others. 

• Survival/fatality reports from hospitals and coroners.

Management and 

Operations (M&O) 

Strategies to 

Consider

The National Unified Goal recommends several strategies to improve responder 

safety. They include: 

• “Recommended practices for TIM responder safety and for traffic control at incident 

scenes should be developed and widely published, distributed, and adopted.”

• “Driver training and awareness programs should teach drivers how to react to 

emergencies on the roadway in order to prevent secondary incidents, including traffic 

incident responder injuries and deaths.”

• “TIM responders should receive multidisciplinary National Incident Management 

System (NIMS) and Traffic Incident Management training.”

In addition, improve awareness and compliance with Move Over/Slow Down laws. 

Each State now has some type of Move Over/Slow Down law that requires drivers to 

move over or slow down when approaching traffic incident response vehicles and 

traffic incident responders on the roadway. 

M&O strategies that support quick incident detection and response by trained medical staff should improve survivability rates for motorists involved in incidents.

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.

Appendix A. Regional TIM Planning Sheets
37

Secondary Incidents

General Description The focus of these objectives is on the reduction of secondary incidents, which are 

incidents that result from an initial incident. Motorists moving through and upstream 

from a traffic incident site are vulnerable to secondary incidents caused by sudden 

slowing of traffic, lane changes, and the situation or movement of emergency vehicles. A nationally accepted definition of secondary incidents does not yet exist. 

An initial definition from the 2009 Federal Highway Administration Focus States 

Initiative: Traffic Incident Management Performance Measures Final Report is 

“Unplanned incidents (starting at the time of detection) for which a response or intervention is taken, where a collision occurs either a) within the incident scene or b) 

within the queue (which could include the opposite direction) resulting from the original incidents.”

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce the number of secondary incidents occurring each year by X percent over this 

year.

• Reduce the severity of secondary incidents such that the percentage of secondary 

incidents that are fatal or injury-causing decreases by X percent within X years.

Performance 

Measures 

• Beginning with the time of detection of the primary incident, the number of incidents 

that occur either a) within the primary incident scene or b) within the queue—

including a queue in the opposite direction—resulting from the original incident. 

(FHWA Focus State Initiative) 

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Traffic incident logs, including the location and time reported, the queue length, 

incident clearance time, and incident normalization information

• Police accident database

http://www.intrans.iastate.edu/reports/secondary-accidents.pdf

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Traffic management center, State/local DOTs, State and local police. 

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

• Safety service patrols (provide traffic control at scene) http://www.safehighways.org/

safe-highway-matters/spring-2010-3/secondary-incidents/

• Traveler information on alternate routes

• Policies and procedures for HAZMAT and fatal incidents that also include maintenance 

of traffic flow 

• Strategies that reduce time to clear incident scene, including the use of CCTV 

cameras to support incident detection and verification, 511 systems, dynamic 

message signs, towing and recovery quick clearance incentives, incident command 

system, and others.

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 38

Incident Detection and Verification

General Description This set of objectives focuses on improving the detection and verification of an incident, the first steps in the TIM process. Detection is the determination that an incident of some type has occurred. Incidents may be detected in person by motorists or 

response personnel or automatically using electronic loop detectors and associated 

incident detection algorithms. Verification is the determination of the precise location 

and nature of the incident, which may be performed by on-site response personnel 

or CCTVs.

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce mean incident notification time (defined as the time between the first 

agency’s awareness of an incident and the time to notify all needed response 

agencies) by X percent over Y years.

• Decrease the average time for incident verification by X percent by year Y.

• Reduce the number of times that inaccurate incident location and type information are 

provided to response personnel during notification to X inaccurate notifications per 

month. 

Performance 

Measures 

• Average incident notification time of necessary response agencies.

• Average time for incident verification (defined as the time between the first agency’s 

awareness of an incident and the determination of the precise location and nature of 

the incident).

• Number of inaccurate notifications to response agencies per month regarding incident 

location and type. 

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Time of awareness of incident by first agency.

• Time of notification to all necessary response agencies.

• Time of incident verification.

• Accuracy of incident notifications. 

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Data would need to be tracked by the incident responders or operators at a traffic 

management center or emergency operations center with access to video of the 

scene. The partners needed for these measures would be all incident responders 

willing to support the objectives.

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

M&O strategies to consider in improving detection and verification of incidents 

include enhancing inter-agency voice and data communications systems, expanding 

the use of roving patrols, and CCTV cameras. Accuracy of incident notifications can 

be improved through 1/10 or 2/10 mile markers and motorist call boxes in rural areas.

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.
39

Incident Response

General Description This set of objectives focuses on improving incident response: “the activation of a 

‘planned’ strategy for the safe and rapid deployment of the most appropriate personnel and resources to the incident scene.”21

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce mean time for needed responders to arrive on-scene after notification by X 

percent over Y years.

• For X percent of all HAZMAT incidents, the necessary HAZMAT equipment and 

personnel arrive on scene within X minutes of notification. 

• For X percent of all incidents requiring tow trucks, the appropriate tow truck 

equipment arrives on scene within X minutes of request. 

Performance 

Measures 

• Mean time for needed responders to arrive on-scene after notification.

• Time for necessary HAZMAT equipment and personnel to arrive on-scene following 

notification of a HAZMAT incident.

• Time between request for tow trucks and the arrival of appropriate tow trucks on 

scene. 

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• For each incident of interest in the region, incident notification time and on-scene 

arrival time. 

• For all HAZMAT incidents, the time of notification to HAZMAT staff/agencies and the 

arrival time of necessary HAZMAT equipment and personnel. 

• For incidents requiring tow trucks, the time of tow truck request and the time all 

appropriate tow truck(s) arrive on-scene.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Data would need to be tracked by 9-1-1 dispatchers, incident responders on scene, or 

operators at a traffic management center or emergency operations center with access 

to video of the scene. 

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

M&O strategies to consider in improving the timely and optimum response of personnel and equipment to incident scenes include enhancing inter-agency voice and data 

communications systems, CCTV cameras, pre-positioned tow trucks, towing and 

recovery zone-based contracts, enhanced computer-aided dispatch that uses automated vehicle location systems, and emergency vehicle preemption at traffic signals. 

Safety-related 

Impacts

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Employ emergency vehicle preemption: The safety impact is the potential for 

decreasing response times. Reviews of systems in several cities show a decrease in 

response times ranging from 14 to 50 percent. Source: NCHRP 500 Volume 12 

(effectiveness categorized as “proven”).

• Install emergency vehicle preemption systems: The crash modification factor (CMF) 

for this treatment is 0.30 for all crashes. Source: FHWA Desktop Reference for Crash 

Reduction Factors, 2008.

Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.

21 Federal Highway Administration, Best Practices in Traffic Incident Management, “Chapter 2. Task-Specific Challenges and 

Strategies,” FHWA-HOP-10-050 (Washington, DC: 2010).

Available at: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10050/ch2.htm#s3
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 40

Incident Scene Management and Traffic Control 

General Description This set of objectives focuses on the coordination and management of resources 

and activities at or near the incident scene, including personnel, equipment, and 

communication links. It also features safe and efficient management of traffic 

approaching the scene. This phase of TIM occurs once incident response agencies 

have arrived on the scene.

Operations 

Objectives 

• A Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)-compliant Traffic Incident 

Management Area will be established at all traffic incidents requiring the closure of 

at least one travel lane by year Y.

• Response vehicle placement and on-scene emergency lighting procedures will be 

developed and used for all traffic incidents in the region by year Y.

• The Incident Command System, a well-established, standardized on-scene process 

for managing incident response activities, is understood by all incident response 

personnel prior to performing incident response functions and is used at all incident 

scenes by year Y. 

• The region develops and uses specific, mutually agreed upon policies and 

procedures for HAZMAT and fatal accident response that also address maintaining 

traffic flow around the incident by year Y.

• By year Y, alternate route plans have been established and used by all appropriate 

agencies in the region for all routes with average daily volumes exceeding X.

Performance 

Measures 

• Rate of use of MUTCD-compliant Traffic Incident Management Areas.

• Rate of use of response vehicle placement and on-scene emergency lighting 

procedures.

• Percent of incident response personnel demonstrating proficiency in Incident 

Command System concepts and process.

• Rate of use of the Incident Command System.

• Usage rate of policies and procedures for HAZMAT and fatal accident response.

• Percentage of routes in region with average daily volumes over X with alternate route 

plans.

• Rate of use of alternate route plans.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Usage rates for the procedures and policies listed in the performance measures. 

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Data would need to be tracked by the incident responders or operators at a traffic 

management center or emergency operations center with access to video of the 

scene. The partners needed for these measures would be all incident responders 

willing to support the objectives.

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

M&O strategies that support this set of objectives include multi-agency training and 

regional TIM programs. Other M&O strategies are inherent in the operations objectives.

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.
41

22 Federal Highway Administration, Best Practices in Traffic Incident Management (2010).

23 Federal Highway Administration, 2010 Traffic Incident Management Handbook Update, “Chapter 3. TIM Tactical Program Elements,” 

FHWA-HOP-10-013 (Washington, DC: 2010).

Available at: http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/publications/timhandbook/chap3.htm#sec3-2

24 For more information, see FHWA, Best Practices in Traffic Incident Management, (2010). 

Incident Clearance and Recovery 

General Description This set of objectives focuses on the final steps of the TIM process: incident clearance and the recovery of the roadway.“ Clearance refers to the safe and timely 

removal of any wreckage, debris, or spilled material from the roadway. Recovery 

refers to the restoration of the roadway to its full capacity.”22 This set also includes 

objectives that account for the entire duration of the incident. 

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce mean incident clearance time per incident by X percent over Y years. (Defined 

as the time between awareness of an incident and the time the last responder has 

left the scene.)

• Reduce mean roadway clearance time per incident by X percent over Y years. 

(Defined as the time between awareness of an incident and restoration of lanes to 

full operational status.)

• Reduce mean time of incident duration (from awareness of incident to resumed traffic 

flow) on transit services and arterial and expressway facilities by X percent in Y years.

Each objective can be qualified for the level of traffic incident (major, intermediate, 

and minor) as defined in MUTCD, Chapter 6I, Control of Traffic through Traffic Incident 

Management Areas. Major traffic incidents are those that typically require closing all 

or part of the roadway for a period exceeding 2 hours. Intermediate traffic incidents 

are those that typically affect travel lanes for a period of 30 minutes to 2 hours. A 

minor incident typically lasts no more than 30 minutes and does not require lane closures or extensive traffic control.23

Performance 

Measures 

• Mean incident clearance time per incident.

• Mean roadway clearance time per incident.

• Mean time of incident duration. 

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Data needed for these measures include the time of the awareness of an incident and 

one or more of the following pieces of data: the time the last responder left the 

scene, the time when all lanes were re-opened, the time when traffic returned to full 

operational status.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Data would need to be tracked by the incident responders or operators at a traffic 

management center or emergency operations center with access to video of the 

scene. The partners needed for these measures would be all incident responders 

willing to support the objectives.

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

M&O strategies to consider in improving incident clearance and recovery include all 

of the strategies suggested for the areas of detection and verification, incident 

response, and incident scene management and traffic control. Policies and laws to 

consider for improved incident clearance include abandoned vehicle legislation/policy, safe, quick clearance laws—driver removal and authority removal, quick clearance/open roads policy, fatality certification/removal policy, and non-cargo vehicle 

fluid discharge policy.24 Expedited crash investigation methods such as photogrammetry. 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 42

Safety-related 

Impacts

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Employ emergency vehicle preemption: The safety impact is the potential for 

decreasing response times. Reviews of systems in several cities show a decrease in 

response times ranging from 14 to 50 percent. Source: NCHRP 500 Volume 12 

(effectiveness categorized as “proven”).

• Install emergency vehicle preemption systems: The CMF for this treatment is 

0.30 for all crashes. Source: FHWA Desktop Reference for Crash Reduction Factors, 

2008.

Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.
43

Person and Freight Hours of Delay 

General Description The objective(s) below focus on delay for people and goods due to traffic incidents.

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce the person hours (or vehicle hours) of total delay associated with traffic 

incidents by X percent over Y years.

• Reduce freight (in tons) hours of total delay associated with traffic incidents by X 

percent over Y years.

• Reduce commercial vehicle hours of total delay associated with traffic incidents by X 

percent over Y years.

Performance 

Measures 

• Person hours (or vehicle hours) of delay associated with traffic incidents.

• Freight (in tons) hours of delay associated with traffic incidents.

• Commercial vehicle hours of delay associated with traffic incidents.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Total travel time in person hours (or vehicle hours) of travel impacted by incidents.

• Total travel time in person hours (or vehicle hours) of travel during free flow 

conditions.

• Total travel time in freight ton hours of travel impacted by incidents.

• Total travel time in freight ton hours of travel during free flow conditions.

• Total travel time in commercial vehicles hours of travel during free flow conditions.

• Total travel time in commercial vehicles hours of travel during free flow conditions.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Due to the unpredictable nature of traffic incidents, travel time may need to be 

collected, stored, and then analyzed after incident times and locations are obtained. 

Partners needed include public safety agencies and departments of transportation.

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

Regions can reduce travel time delay due to incidents by shortening incident clearance time and providing travelers with information to avoid the incident area. 

Safety-related 

Impacts

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Install changeable “Accident Ahead” warning signs: The CMF for this treatment 

is 0.56 with a standard error of 0.2. Therefore the range of the CMF is 0.96 to 0.16. 

Source: HSM, First Edition.

• Install changeable “Queue Ahead” warning signs: The CMF for this treatment is 

0.84 with a standard error of 0.1 for rear-end injury crashes. Therefore, the range of 

the CMF is 1.04 to 0.64. For rear-end non-injury crashes, the CMF is 0.84 with a 

standard error of 0.2. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 1.24 to 0.44. Source: HSM, 

First Edition.

Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 44

Traveler Information 

General Description This section contains objectives that focus on providing travelers with accurate, 

timely, and actionable information about incidents and emergencies. 

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce time between incident/emergency verification and posting a traveler alert to 

traveler information outlets (e.g., variable message signs, agency website, 511 

system, media alerts) by X minutes in Y years.

• Increase number of repeat visitors to traveler information website (or 511 system) by 

X percent in Y years.

• Reduce the time between recovery from incident and removal of traveler alerts for 

that incident.

• Achieve by year Y and maintain an accuracy rate of X percent of the traveler 

information provided on incidents and emergencies by government agencies.

• Provide alternate route information to travelers for at least X percent of intermediate 

and major incidents (as defined by the MUTCD) by year Y. 

• Expand the percentage of impacted or potentially impacted travelers who receive 

incident and emergency traveler information to X percent of the (potentially) impacted 

traveler population by year Y.

Performance 

Measures 

• Time to alert motorists of an incident/emergency.

• Number of repeat visitors to traveler information website (or 511 system).

• Time between recovery from incident and removal of traveler alerts.

• Rate of accuracy of traveler information messages provided by government agencies.

• Percent of intermediate and major incidents for which alternate route information was 

provided for travelers.

• Percent of impacted/potentially impacted travelers receiving traveler information on 

incidents and emergencies.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Data needed for these measures include the time of incident verification and variable 

message sign (VMS) posting, 511 entry, traveler information website log of the 

number of visitors, and the time of transportation system recovery and travel alert 

removal. 

• Traveler information accuracy rates for 511, VMS postings, websites, and other public 

agency traveler information outlets.

• Number of intermediate and major incidents for which alternate route information was 

supplied to travelers.

• Traveler information distribution/access rates.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Data on the time of incident recovery could be collected by transportation 

management center operators with video of incident scens or through continuous 

collection of traffic speeds. Partners would need to include agencies that manage 

traveler information websites, VMS, and emergency operations centers. Public safety 

partners may be needed for information on incident verification time. Surveys will be 

needed to measures exposure to traveler information for incidents and emergencies.

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

M&O strategies to consider include training on disseminating incident-related traveler 

information as well as deploying and managing VMS and websites. Accuracy and distribution of traveler information can be improved through regionally accepted standards and protocols and increased communication and coordination with public information officers, with private media providers, and between jurisdictions. 
45

Safety-related 

Impacts

Select examples of associated M&O strategies and their safety impacts include:

• Install changeable “Accident Ahead” warning signs: The CMF for this treatment 

is 0.56 with a standard error of 0.2. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 0.96 to 0.16. 

Source: HSM, First Edition.

• Install changeable “Queue Ahead” warning signs: The CMF for this treatment is 

0.84 with a standard error of 0.1 for rear-end injury crashes. Therefore, the range of 

the CMF is 1.04 to 0.64. For rear-end non-injury crashes, the CMF is 0.84 with a 

standard error of 0.2. Therefore, the range of the CMF is 1.24 to 0.44. Source: HSM, 

First Edition.

Note: The existing number of crashes is multiplied by the CMF to determine the number of crashes that may be anticipated following implementation of a treatment.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 46

Inter-Agency Coordination 

General Description This section contains objectives that focus on increasing coordination and communication between agencies with responsibilities for traffic incident management. 

Operations 

Objectives 

• Increase percentage of incident management agencies in the region that (participate 

in a multi-modal information exchange network, use interoperable voice 

communications, participate in a regional coordinated incident response team, etc.) by 

X percent in Y years.

• Increase the number of corridors in the region covered by regional coordinated 

incident response teams by X percent in Y years.

• Hold at least X multi-agency after-action review meetings each year with attendance 

from at least Y percent of the agencies involved in the incident’s response.

• Increase the percentage of TIM-related agencies in the region that participate in a 

resource/equipment sharing agreement to support TIM activities to X percent by year 

Y.

• Standard definitions of TIM objectives and performance measures are adopted and 

tracked by X percent of TIM-related agencies in the region by year Y.

• X percent of TIM-related agencies in the region agree to use a standard terminology 

for TIM by year Y.

Performance 

Measures 

• Percentage of incident management agencies in region participating in multi-modal 

information exchange network. 

• Number of agencies in the region with interoperable voice communications.

• Number of participating agencies in a regionally coordinated incident response team. 

• Number of TIM corridors in the region covered by regionally coordinated incident 

response teams.

• Number of multi-agency after-action reviews per year.

• Percentage of responding agencies participating in after-action reviews.

• Percentage of TIM-related agencies in the region that participate in a resource/

equipment sharing agreement to support TIM activities.

• Percentage of TIM-related agencies in the region that have adopted and track 

standard TIM objectives and performance measures.

• Percentage of TIM-related agencies in the region that have agreed to use standard 

terminology for TIM.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Data needed for these measures include the number of agencies participating in a 

regional incident management program or activity, the number of corridors covered by 

a regional incident management team, and the number of after-action reviews held. 

• Data needs also include number of TIM-related agencies participating in a resource 

sharing agreement that have adopted standard TIM objectives and performance 

measures and have agreed to use standard terminology.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• This data can be collected by observation of emergency/incident management 

programs or asking TIM and other emergency management agencies to self-report. 

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

Developing a regional operations plan or regional concept for transportation operations (RCTO) supports the inter-agency coordination objectives in this set. Other 

M&O strategies to consider are inherent in these objectives. 

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.
47

Training

General Description This section contains objectives that focus on training incident management staff. 

Operations 

Objectives 

• Conduct X joint training exercises among operators and emergency responders in the 

region by year Y.

• By year Y, X percent of staff in region with incident management responsibilities will 

have completed the National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training and at 

least X percent of transportation responders in the region will be familiar with the 

incident command structure (ICS).

• By year Y, X percent of staff in region with incident management responsibilities will 

have completed the multi-disciplinary Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 

2) National TIM Responder Training Course offered by FHWA.

Performance 

Measures 

• Number of joint training exercises conducted among operators and emergency 

responders.

• Percentage of staff having completed NIMS training and percent of transportation 

responders familiar with ICS.

• Percentage of staff having completed SHRP 2 National TIM Responder Training 

Course.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• The number of joint training exercises conducted in the region among operators and 

emergency responders

• The number of staff within each agency in the region that have incident management 

responsibilities as well as the number of staff that have completed the NIMS training.

• The number of transportation responder staff in the region familiar with ICS.

• The number of staff within each agency in the region that have completed the SHRP 

2 National TIM Responder Training Course by FHWA.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• A simple count of incident management staff and those that completed NIMS training 

and the SHRP 2 course would need to be collected from each TIM agency in the 

region. A survey or self-assessment could be used on a regional level for ICS 

familiarity. 

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

M&O strategies to consider would include making the NIMS training and the SHRP 2 

National TIM Responder Training Course widely available to all relevant staff in the 

region. TIM leaders in the region could take the SHRP 2 Train-the-Trainer course to 

become a trainer of the SHRP 2 National TIM Responder Training Course.

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 48

Technology

General Description This section contains objectives that focus on deploying technology needed to support traffic incident management. 

Operations 

Objectives 

• Increase the number of ITS-related assets (e.g., roadside cameras, vehicle speed 

detectors) in use for incident detection by X in Y years.

• Increase the number of ITS-related assets (e.g., roadside cameras) in use for incident 

verification by X in Y years.

• Increase the number of regional road miles covered by ITS-related assets (e.g., 

roadside cameras, dynamic message signs, vehicle speed detectors) in use for 

incident detection and/or verification by X percent in Y years.

• Increase the number of traffic signals equipped with emergency vehicle preemption 

by X percent in Y years.

• Increase the number of total station survey equipment or photogrammetry systems 

for expedited crash investigation by X in Y years.

• Maintain the “health” of the ITS assets (e.g., roadside cameras, dynamic message 

signs, vehicle speed detectors) so that all assets are functioning as intended at least X 

percent of the time. 

Performance 

Measures 

• Number of ITS-related assets in use for incident detection/verification.

• Number of regional roadway miles covered by ITS-related assets in use for incident 

detection.

• Number of traffic signals equipped with emergency vehicle preemption.

• Number of total station surveying equipment and/or photogrammetry systems.

• Amount of time ITS assets are in proper functioning condition.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• The data needed for technology deployment objectives is simply a count of the assets 

deployed for TIM.

• Rate of failure or decreased functionality of ITS assets.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Data needed is a count of technology(ies) deployed and condition of assets. Asset 

condition/maintenance information will need to be supplied by the assets’ owning/

operating agencies.

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

The M&O strategies to consider are inherent in the objectives. 

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.
49

Environment 

General Description One of the impacts of traffic congestion caused by traffic incidents is reduced air 

quality. Other environmental impacts of traffic incidents occur when the incident 

causes hazardous materials to be spilled onto the roadway. This section contains 

objectives that focus on reducing the impacts of traffic incidents on the natural environment. 

Operations 

Objectives 

• Reduce the pounds of carbon dioxide emitted per year in the region as a result of 

incident-related congestion by X percent in Y years.

• Reduce the gallons of fuel wasted per year in the region as a result of incident-related 

congestion by X percent in Y years.

• Decrease the amount (unit of measurement will depend on material spilled) of 

hazardous materials released into the environment (soil, waterway, air) through spills 

caused by traffic incidents by X percent in Y years.

Performance 

Measures 

• Pounds of carbon dioxide emitted per year in the region as a result of incident-related 

congestion.

• Gallons of fuel wasted per year in the region as a result of incident-related congestion.

• Amount of hazardous materials entering the environment as a result of a HAZMATrelated traffic incidents.

Anticipated Data 

Needs

• Hours of travel time delay per year caused by traffic incidents.

• Estimate of carbon dioxide emitted and gallons of fuel burned per hour of delay.

• Amount of hazardous materials spilled and not recovered during incidents.

Data Resources and 

Partners

• Data on HAZMAT spills may be available from the Environmental/Natural Resources/

Departments of Health. Estimates on CO2 emissions and gallons wasted per hour of 

delay may be available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Departments 

of transportation and public safety agencies are among the partners needed to obtain 

data on delay time caused by incidents. 

M&O Strategies to 

Consider

The M&O strategies to consider include TIM strategies to reduce the duration of an 

incident/reduce clearance time. Strategies also include strong coordination with 

local/State environmental agencies and HAZMAT contractors, training on HAZMAT 

incidents, and availability of necessary HAZMAT equipment and personnel. 

Safety-related 

Impacts

Direct safety impacts not identified within referenced safety documents.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 50

25 Genesee Transportation Council, Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategic Plan for Greater Rochester, 2011.

Available at: http://www.gtcmpo.org/Resources/Topics/TSMO.htm.

26 Genesee Transportation Council, 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, June 2011.

Available at: http://www.gtcmpo.org/Docs/LRTP.htm.

While many regions are quickly advancing toward a 

fully objectives-driven, performance-based approach 

to planning, the example below does not include performance targets for the TIM-related objectives and 

performance measures. This is an institutional and 

technical challenge that regions are working to 

address through the development of consistent definitions for performance measures, standard data collection procedures, and data sharing and integration. 

Annotations among the examples in this section offer 

options of targeted operations objectives to show 

how the integration of TIM in the plan could be taken 

to the next level. 

Example: Genesee Transportation Council

The Genesee Transportation Council (GTC) is the 

MPO for the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region including 

the City of Rochester, New York. The region contains 

approximately 840,000 people over 4,700 square 

miles. Since 2006, the MPO has facilitated a 

Transportation Management Committee that includes 

law enforcement, and it is working to bring in all public safety disciplines. In 2011, the region adopted an 

Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategic Plan for 

Greater Rochester25 and the 2035 Long Range 

Transportation Plan for the Genesee-Finger Lakes 

Region.26 While the long range plan includes TIM, 

the ITS strategic plan provides much greater depth 

on TIM. 

The pages that follow contain annotated excerpts 

from the long range plan that illustrate the incorporation of TIM.

The purpose of this section is to illustrate how TIM 

can be integrated into a metropolitan transportation 

plan and its supporting planning documents by leading the reader through excerpts of a sample metropolitan transportation plan and a sample Intelligent 

Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Plan. The primary audience for this section is the planner who is 

interested in gathering tangible ideas for the structure and development of the plan in his or her region. 

The sample demonstrates one approach for making 

traffic incident management a priority for the region. 

While there are many options for where and how TIM 

can be integrated into a plan, the use of an objectives-driven, performance-based approach relies on 

specific, measureable objectives for TIM, TIM-related 

performance measures, and TIM strategies to meet 

those objectives. Because metropolitan transportation plans cover a broad range of areas, such as public transportation, freight, safety, security, environment, land use, and social equity, the plan may not 

provide a detailed treatment of TIM. As shown in the 

example below, this region decided to use a supporting document, an ITS strategic plan, to capture multiple TIM objectives and performance measures and 

to describe the roles, responsibilities, and needs specific to TIM initiatives or programs. TIM may also be 

included in plans as part of an objectives-driven, performance-based congestion management process 

(CMP). Since incidents account for approximately 25 

percent of congestion, it is appropriate for TIM to 

have a role in the CMP. Another common location for 

TIM strategies to appear in the plan is in a section 

dedicated to management and operations. 

Appendix B. Case Study: A Metropolitan 

Transportatoin Plan and an Operations Plan 

Incorporating TIM
51

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION 1Introduction 1CHAPTER 2 - THE PLAN 5LRTP 2035 Development 5The Genesee Transportation Council 5Responsibilities 5Goals and Objectives 8Organizational Structure 10Guiding Principles 12Development Phases 13Stakeholder Participation 14CHAPTER 3 - THE REGION 19People 19Businesses 22Recreational and Cultural Resources 24Places 26Emerging Opportunities and Issues 31The Region in 2035 36CHAPTER 4 - TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 39Highways and Bridges 39Public Transportation 44Bicycle and Pedestrian 47Freight 53Interregional Travel 57Travel Characteristics 60Congestion Management Process 62Safety 68

Security 70Transportation Needs 70CHAPTER 5 - FINANCIAL PLAN 75Costs 75Revenues 77CHAPTER 6 - RECOMMENDATIONS 85Preservation & Maintenance 87Systems Management & Operations 92Expansion 101Illustrative Projects 106CHAPTER 7 - PERFORMANCE MEASURES `109Exhibit 1 GTC Goals & Objectives LIST OF EXHIBITS

8

Exhibit 2 GTC Board Members 10Exhibit 3 Population Change in the Genesee-Finger Lakes

Region, 1960-2040 19

Exhibit 4 Population in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region

by County, 2010 & 2035 20

Exhibit 5 Percent Change in Population of the

Genesee-Finger Lakes Region by Age Cohort,2010-2035 21

Exhibit 6 Groups Traditionally Under-Represented in the

Transportation Planning Process by Percent ofTotal Population in the Genesee-Finger LakesRegion, 2000 21

Exhibit 7 Employment in the Genesee-Finger Lakes

Region by County, 2009 & 2035 22

Exhibit 8 Employment by Sector in the Genesee-Finger

Lakes Region, 2000 & 2009 23

Exhibit 9 Percent of Total Employment in Manufacturing

New Yin the Largest Upstate New York Regions and

ork State, 2009 24

Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee Finger-Lakes Region 2035  ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The following excerpt shows the table of contents with annotations that highlight areas relevant for TIM. 

Includes 

efficient system 

management 

and operations 

goals and 

CMP addresses 

guiding principle

“non-recurring 

delay” through 

incident related 

TIM strategies

clearance time”“incident Includes TIM strategiesRecommends operationsthrough mobility improved Needs include 
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 52

Chapter 4: Transportation System

Congestion Management Process

The ability of the highway and bridge network to carry traffic efficiently and minimize delay to the 

traveling public and freight carriers is important to economic and social productivity as well as 

environmental quality. Time lost in traffic and increases in emissions of pollutants due to congestion are detrimental to quality of life and economic development. Even though the Genesee-Finger 

Lakes Region consistently ranks low in terms of congestion compared to similar sized areas in the 

nation, the U.S. Department of Transportation requires that Transportation Management Areas 

maintain a Congestion Management Process to:

• monitor and evaluate transportation system performance;

• identify alternative congestion mitigation actions;

• assess and implement cost-effective congestion mitigation actions; and

• evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented actions.

The objective of the GTC Congestion Management Process is to provide practical tools to identify 

and implement strategies that improve the mobility of people and freight, emphasizing coordinated 

corridor-level and region-wide solutions that mitigate existing sources and avoid the creation of 

future sources of congestion that result in excess delay.

Congestion that results in delay along the highway and bridge network of the region has been categorized into three types:

1. Recurring Capacity Related Delay – results in trips taking longer during peak hours than during 

off-peak hours...

2. Planned Event Related Delay – occurs as a result of a planned special event such as a concert, 

sports game or match, or scheduled road work...

3. Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay – happens as a result of unplanned incidents such as an 

automobile crash or a severe weather event. This type of delay can occur anywhere on the transportation system, but is most likely to happen when an incident occurs on an already busy highway. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, incidents are estimated to cause between 52 

and 58 percent of delay in all urban areas. Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay can be reduced 

through improved incident management such as quicker detection, response, and clearance times, 

as well as by using traveler information systems to help drivers avoid the incident scene altogether.

Locations that experience the greatest amount of Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay are those 

where volumes relative to the capacity of the roadway is nearing Recurring Capacity Related Delay 

and are more likely than other locations to experience crashes or other types of incidents that 

reduce the capacity of the roadway. The only location that is likely to be subject to Non-Recurring 

Incident Related Delay in the region outside of the Rochester TMA is located in the City of Batavia 
53

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

Exhibit 18

Congestion Mitigation Strategies

Recurring Capacity Related Planned Event Related Non-Recurring Incident Related

Supply-Driven Strategies

Intersection/Interchange Improvements Parking Management Incident Management

Traffic Signal Improvements Traffic Signal Improvements Traffic Signal Improvements

Multi-Modal Traveler Information Systems Multi-Modal Traveler Information Systems Multi-Modal Traveler Information 

Systems

Roadway Monitoring and Management Roadway Monitoring and Management Roadway Surveillance and Management

Parking Management Traffic Enforcement Traffic Enforcement

Access Management Reversible Traffic Lanes Work Zone Management

Expanded Bicycle and Pedestrian Networks Temporary Turn Prohibitions Temporary Turn Prohibitions

Expanded Public Transportation Services Work Zone Management Safety Awareness Programs

Demand-Driven Strategies

Promotion of public transportation/bicycling/walking Promotion of public transportation/bicycling/

walking

Transit-Supportive Development

Alternative Hours to Travel

Alternative Workplace Locations

Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee Finger-Lakes Region 2035  67

where NYS Routes 5, 33, 63, and 98 are in close proximity to each other in the heart of the City’s 

central business district. 

The GTC Congestion Mitigation Toolbox, ranging from constructing new highways to building and 

operating commuter rail, has been updated as part of the LRTP 2035. An evaluation of the benefits 

and costs of the strategies included in it relative to the guiding principles (discussed later) and the 

transportation needs of the region through 2035 (discussed previously) was conducted. Based on 

this evaluation, those mitigation strategies that are considered reasonable in the Genesee-Finger 

Lakes Region for each type of congestion are presented in Exhibit 18.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 54

Chapter 6: Recommendations

Systems Management and Operations

Transportation system management and operations (TSMO) recommendations provide the best 

opportunity to maximize the effectiveness of the current transportation system at the lowest cost. 

There are three primary initiatives that serve as the basis for the TSMO recommendations in the 

LRTP 2035: Technology, Coordination, and Demand. These initiatives are not mutually exclusive 

(e.g., there are Technology elements that are critical to and included in Coordination and Demand 

and the same is true for Coordination and Demand as they relate to Technology and each other). 

The majority of delay in the region is non-recurring and is the result of crashes, weather, and other 

irregular events. TSMO programs and projects can effectively address non-recurring delay through 

improved incident response, more efficient deployment of resources to clear snow and ice, and 

timelier information to travelers. Even in cases where the delay is recurring due to peak demand 

and fixed capacity, TSMO programs and projects that inform travelers of less costly options that 

could be more convenient have the potential to reduce demand on the system when use is at its 

highest level.

TSMO programs and projects can increase safety by providing timely and accurate information to 

make travelers aware of hazards such as adverse weather conditions, work zones, crashes, and 

other incidents. By improving incident response and management, TSMO programs and projects 

can also shorten clearance times for crashes which reduce the likelihood of secondary crashes. 

This improves safety, reduces resulting delay and decreases emissions. The technologies used to 

monitor transportation system performance can also be used for homeland security purposes to 

prevent or respond to a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other large-scale emergency.

Coordination

TSMO programs and projects also include the coordination of transportation infrastructure and 

services and the associated organizational relationships among all transportation agencies, including but not limited to NYSDOT, NYSTA, counties, the City of Rochester, and other municipalities. 

Like the design of infrastructure and services, the relationships between transportation agencies 

can also appreciably improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the transportation system.

How transportation agencies coordinate their respective activities can maximize the investment of 

public resources and the delivery of services that clear crashes, address weather-related consequences, and provide connections between public transportation services operated by public and 

not-for-profit providers. The structure of interagency collaboration between transportation, emergency management, and law enforcement entities is critical to efficient management and operation of the transportation system.

Formal protocols (including via Regional Concepts of Transportation Operations) to coordinate 

information sharing, incident response, and timing of construction projects based on a cooperatively- developed vision can improve efficiency and effectiveness.
55

Recommendations

• Continue federal funding for Regional Traffic Operations Center (RTOC) staffing, including continued 24-hour operations and cross-training of NYSDOT and Monroe County staff – Ongoing 

(Near-Term for cross-training)...

• Continue Federal funding for the NYSDOT Highway Emergency Local Patrol (HELP) Program to 

decrease delay and increase safety on major highways by providing emergency roadside service to disabled vehicles – Ongoing

The HELP Program is an important initiative in minimizing Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay. 

The program provides assistance to motorists that have experienced issues on major roadways 

that without quick action will limit capacity and cause congestion with the potential for secondary 

incidents as a result. The NYSDOT-Region 4 Advanced Transportation Management System Local 

Evaluation Report found that the HELP Program had one of the highest cost/benefit ratios of any 

initiative assessed. Like RTOC staffing, funding for the HELP Program has been and continues to 

be provided in the TIP and these financial resources will continue to be made available.

• Conduct relevant training opportunities between transportation, law enforcement, fire and 

medical, and other agencies to improve incident response, management, and clearance – Ongoing

Clearing crashes as quickly as possible while providing for the safety of emergency responders and 

law enforcement agents requires significant coordination. The National Highway Institute 

Coordinated Incident Management (Quick Clearance) Workshop, developed by the I- 95 Corridor 

Coalition, was conducted in October for regional local law enforcement, first responder, and transportation system management agencies, as well as representatives from the local towing industry. 

This workshop or a similar training opportunity should be offered in the region on a regular basis.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 56

Chapter 7: Performance Measures

Using quantitative metrics to measure the performance of the transportation system over time is 

important to being accountable to taxpayers, given the large amount of public funds used for its 

construction, maintenance, and operation. There is no current Federal or State requirement that 

system performance be monitored and reported but there are increasing discussions at the national 

level on this issue. Performance measures are included in the LRTP 2035 in order to monitor 

changes in key areas that matter to users of the transportation system. 

GTC sought to ensure that the selected performance measures would be both meaningful (having 

significance) and understandable (capable of being comprehended) to users and policymakers, 

providing a common basis to discuss changes in how the transportation system is meeting or not 

meeting regional needs. 

The current value for each performance measure is provided as a benchmark along with the 

desired direction consistent with the GTC Goals and Objectives and the likely direction based on 

what can realistically be accomplished within the reasonably expected revenues.

Though less important than meaningfulness and understandability, another consideration in the 

selection of the performance measures was the availability of quality data for the region (or 

Rochester TMA) and the likelihood that it will continue to be collected. As a result, all of the data 

is collected either by a GTC member agency, GTC staff, or a New York State government agency 

that is not a GTC member agency. Exhibit 26 presents the LRTP 2035 Performance Measures with 

each discussed below.

Median incident clearance time on major roadways was calculated by GTC for calendar year 2010 

based on when notifications of incidents and their corresponding clearances were provided by 

e-mail through NY-Alert and the NYSTA TRANSalert.

In Chapter 7, Performance Measures, GTC selected “median incident clearance time” as one of 15 performance 

measures that the region will use to monitor transportation system performance to support accountability and 

identify changes in key areas of the transportation system. A benchmark or current level is provided along with 

expected and desired directional changes. 
57

Exhibit 26PERFORMANCE MEASURES

LRTP 2035 Performance Measures

Performance Measure What it Evaluates Benchmark Change Desired Likely Change

Number of Fatalities Safety 100 Decrease Slight Decrease

Federal-Aid Highway with Pavement Fair or Better System Preservation 90.3 percent Increase Slight Decrease

Non-Deficient Bridges System Preservation 64.8 percent Increase Slight Decrease

Average Age of Transit Buses System Preservation 7.65 years Decrease Slight Decrease

Travel Time Index on Major Roadways Mobility 1.10 Decrease Slight Increase

Transit On-Time Performance Mobility 84 percent Increase Slight Increase

Passenger Rail On-Time Performance Mobility 70 percent Increase Slight Decrease

Median Incident Clearance Time on Major Roadways Mobility 52 minutes Decrease Slight Decrease

Median Transit Load Factor Accessibility 0.93 Slight Increase Slight Increase

Gaps in Core Multi-Use Trails Network Accessibility 36 miles Decrease Slight Decrease

Federal-Aid Highways in TMA with Complete Sidewalks Accessibility 19.6 percent Increase Slight Increase

Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides Environment 18,914.8 Kg/day Decrease Decrease

Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds Environment 13,537.8 Kg/day Decrease Decrease

Emission of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent Environment 11,385 tons/day Decrease Slight Decrease

Direct Energy Usage Environment 146.2 billion BTUs/day Decrease Slight Decrease

110  Long Range Transportation Plan for the Genesee Finger-Lakes Region 2035is currently collected by GTC using GPS-equipped vehicles. Amaking the same trip at free-flow speeds (mid-day period). Datatime it takes to make a trip during the peak period compared toAs discussed previously, the Travel Time Index is a ratio of theto newer models.remain in service longer while providing levels of reliability similarmaintenance of vehicles can make it possible for buses totransportation operator to achieve. In addition, proper preventiveneeds and other expenses make this difficult for any public

City to Niagara Falls routes in December 2010 (the last monthlywas obtained from Amtrak for their Empire Corridor New Yorkearly and 6 minutes late. Passenger rail on-time performanceRGRTA for RTS with on-time defined as between three minutesThe historical transit on-time performance was provided byin the peak period).period (i.e., a 20-minute free-flow trip requires 26 minutestrip takes one-third longer in the peak period than in the middayTravel Time index of 1.3 on a single segment indicates that the

to X minutes”such as “decrease specific target could include Advancement 

Median incident clearance time on major roadways was calculated by GTC for calendar year 2010 based on when notifications of incidents and their corresponding clearances were provided by e-mail through NY-Alert and the NYSTA TRANSalert.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 58

During the development of the region’s long range transportation plan, GTC and its stakeholder agencies, including public safety, created the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Strategic Plan for Greater Rochester. This 

served as a detailed plan for management and operations with a 10-year deployment strategy. The ITS strategic 

plan, guided by the regional vision and goals of the regional transportation plan, enabled transportation operators/public safety to provide crucial input on specific objectives, needs, and strategies for TIM. These needs and 

strategies were then used to build recommendations for TIM in the long range plan. The relationship between 

the regional transportation plan and the regional ITS strategic plan is diagramed in the figure below from the GTC 

ITS Strategic Plan.

Figure 4. Diagram depicting the relationship between regional transportation planning and planning for operations/ITS at 

the Genesee Transportation Council. Source: Genesee Transportation Council, Intelligent Transportation Systems 

Strategic Plan for Greater Rochester, 2011. Available at: http://www.gtcmpo.org/Resources/Topics/TSMO.htm. 

Investment

Strategy

Regional 

Transportation 

Plan

Project

Development and 

Programming 

(MTIP)

Transportation 

Investment

Implement 

Regional

Strategies

Transportation 

System 

Performance 

Measurement

Regional 

Transportation 

Needs

Regional ITS 

Strategic Plan

ITS Project 

Deployment Plan

Transportation 

System

Management 

and Operations

TSMO 

Performance 

Measurement

Objectives/ 

Measures

ASSESS, UPDATE, AND REVISE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY

ITS

Investment

Needs

Projects 

Programs 

Resources

Transportation 

Needs

Operational Needs

Objectives/ 

Measures

ASSESS, UPDATE, AND REVISE TMSO STRATEGY

TSMO Needs 

and 

Strategies

Regional 

Vision

and Goals

Complementary 

ITS/TSMO 

Investments

Regional 

Investment

Priorities

TSMO 

Performance 

Metrics Data for 

Performance 

Measurement

Congestion 

Management 

Process (CMP) Transportation 

Management 

Committee 

(TMC)

Joint Initiatives

Tatical Coordination

STRATEGIC 

PLANNING

PROJECT

DEVELOPMENT

IMPLEMENTATION AND 

SYSTEM OPERATION

PERFORMANCE 

MEASUREMENT
59

Genesee Transportation Council IBI Group

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) STRATEGIC PLAN February 2011

FINAL REPORT

Incident and Emergency Management

Description: Detection, verification, response, management, and recovery of incidents and emergency situations in the 

Greater Rochester area.

Goal: Provide for prompt, safe response to traffic incidents and emergency management scenarios to increase safety 

and minimize congestion, disruptions, and loss of capacity associated with traffic incidents.

Objectives:

• Formalize existing incident management procedures and protocols through a Regional Concept for Transportation 

Operations that documents institutional roles and responsibilities using a scenariobased approach.

• Increase involvement and participation of emergency response agencies in incident management, including knowledge of best practices for traffic management and awareness/access to ITS tools.

• Improve cross-training of operations staff to enable MCDOT and NYSDOT staff to cooperatively manage incidents 

and operate ITS system on the other agency’s systems during incident situations.

• Improve public access to traveler information about incident situations through a variety of traveler information 

media

• Develop a regional, multiagency system for incident and event reporting that is consistent with federal guidelines 

(SAFETEA-LU Sec 1201).

• Plan for future integration of regional ITS infrastructure with NYSDOT statewide Advanced Traffic Management 

System (ATMS) and incident reporting tools.

• Fill in gaps or “blind spots” in existing instrumented corridors to improve incident detection, verification, and response capabilities.

• Provide for phased expansion of traffic management infrastructure on additional expressway and arterial corridors 

based on prioritized operational needs.

• Increase the level of NYSDOT and MCDOT central signal system control along critical corridors throughout the 

urbanized and rural portions of the region to improve the ability to implement alternative signal plans in response to 

incidents and real-time conditions.

Relevant Regional Needs:

• Detection of incidents and disruptions through 

video or field reports.

• Dissemination of incident information to general 

public through media, HAR, and DMS signs.

• Coordinated response to incidents and emergency situations with NY State Police (colocated 

at RTOC).

Key Opportunities and Challenges:

• Expansion of regional traffic data collectio devices and cameras

• Increased participation of local first responders 

(police, fire, EMS) in regional response plans 

and utilization of ITS technology

• Multi-agency training to improve awareness of 

RTOC capabilities

• Additional scenario-based incident response 

and diversion planning

• Provision of incident information to the public 

via 511 integration, DMS, and HAR

• Use of data to support performance measurement of system management programs

66

Below is an excerpt from the GTC ITS Strategic Plan of the incident and emergency management initiatives 

defined for the region. The objectives are activity or action-oriented and support the desired decrease in incident clearance time as identified in the long range plan.
TRAFFIC INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IN PLANNING | 60

Genesee Transportation Council IBI Group

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) STRATEGIC PLAN February 2011

FINAL REPORT

Incident and Emergency Management Initiatives

Ref. # Description Timeframe

Lead 

Agency

Participating

Agencies Progress Milestones

IE1

EM1

AM2

IC2

WM1

Develop a Regional Concept for Transportation Operations for Incident Management using a corridor-based 

approach.

Near

MCDOT

NYSDOT

NYSTA

GTC Law

Enforcement/

Emergency

Management

• Development of an RCTO and 

execution of related agreements

IE2

EM2

TI1

Identify and instrument gaps in regional traffic and 

incident management ITS infrastructure based on 

operations needs.

Medium NYSDOT

MCDOT

NYSTA

GTC

• Infill instrumentation deployment

IE3

EM3

TI2

Phased expansion of ITS infrastructure to

additional regional corridors based on prioritized need.

MediumLongNYSDOT

MCDOT

NYSTA

GTC

• Instrumentation of additional 

corridors based upon operational 

priorities

IE4

CI2

Expand communications and provide system

integration to support increased NYSDOT and MCDOT 

centralized signal control capabilities.

Medium NYSDOT

MCDOT

Other comm.

asset owning

agencies

• Integration of additional signalized 

intersections into the NYSDOT 

central system

IE5

EM4

Improve integration and joint operations

management of the NY Thruway corridor with expressways managed by NYSDOT and MCDOT, including 

incident response, and traveler information, and 

infrastructure sharing.

Near NYSDOT

NYSTA

Law

Enforcment/

Emergency

Management

• Development of a scenariobased 

joint operating concept

• Execution of interagency agreements

• Integration of ITS systems and 

operations

IE6

EM5

Increase availability of incident and traffic

information through traveler information media – 511, 

HAR, DMS, third-party services, etc., including comparative travel time information.

Medium NYSDOT

Third-party

information

providers

• New or enhanced traveler information reporting of real-time expressway and incident conditions, 

including travel time reporting

IE7

Provide education and outreach to local law

enforcement agencies on traffic and incident

management best practices and coordinated

regional plans and ITS infrastructure.

Near NYSDOT

MCDOT

Law

Enforcment/

Emergency

Management

• Conduct agency outreach and 

training

• Increase local agency involvement 

in incident response

67

In the following table, lead and participating agencies include:

 GTC – Genesee Transportation Council

 MCDOT – Monroe County Department of Transportation

 NYSDOT – New York State Department of Transportation 

 NYSTA – New York State Thruway Authority

Genesee Transportation Council IBI Group

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS (ITS) STRATEGIC PLAN February 2011

FINAL REPORT

IE8

Facilitate cross-training of MCDOT and NYSDOT staff 

to allow for greater flexibility to respond to incident and 

emergency situations on the network using RTOC staff.

Near NYSDOT

MCDOT

• Cross-training and certification of 

staff on both MCDOT and NYSDOT systems

• Execution of related interagency 

agreements

IE9

EM7

AM8

Identify the most suitable diversion routes for major 

roadways in the region to minimize delay and improve 

safety for the travelling public when road or bridge 

closures occur.

Near GTC

MCDOT

NYSDOT

NYSTA

Law

Enforcement 

agencies

• Diversion route plans for Principal 

Arterials for production and distribution to relevant agencies

IE10 Evaluate system redundancy, and off-site backup for 

the RTOC to ensure resiliency in emergency situations. Near NYSDOTMCDOT NYSP

• Needs assessment/feasibility 

study for RTOC enhancements 

and backup


July 2013

FHWA-HOP-13-044

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

Toll-Free “Help Line” 866-367-7487

www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov