Lessons Learned about ITS Technologies from a Series of Studies on Catastrophic Events and Transportation System Management

The authors were part of a team that conducted six case studies for the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Operations: Blackout, New York City Area, August 14, 2003; (2) Blackout, Great Lakes Region (Cleveland and Detroit), August 14, 2003; (3) Terrorist attack, New York City, September 11, 2001; (4) Terrorist attack, Washington, D.C., September 11, 2001; (5) Rail tunnel fire, Baltimore, July 18, 2001; and (6) Earthquake, Northridge, California, January 17, 1994. Each of these events resulted in substantial, immediate, and adverse impacts on the transportation system. In each case, portions of installed ITS suffered damage or failed during the incident. This paper identifies a summary of findings about the effectiveness of the management and operations of ITS technology during and after a catastrophic event.