Title: Traffic management in large events
Author:
- Hans Joachim Aumund (Speaker)
Senior Consultant
Aumund Transport & Mobility Consultants
Burckhardtstrasse 1, 30163 Hannover
Joachim.Aumund@mobilliance.de
Abstract:
In Hannover several fairs take place annually. Some are large events, some are smaller ones. The biggest fair is the CeBIT, the world‘s largest Computer and ICT fair, which attracts up to 500.000 visitors during one week, with a daily maximum of up to 100.000 visitors. The largest event ever handled was the World Exposition EXPO 2000 from June to October 2000. It attracted in maximum 1.400.000 visitors per week, with a daily maximum of 290.000 visitors.
Experiences in traffic management for large events in Hannover now date back for more than 50 years. Since long there exists a fruitful co-operation of the responsible administrations in planning and adjusting event traffic management. Partners are the road traffic authorities, the traffic management centre, road administrations, police, public transport operators, trade fair company. These partners compile and agree on a common traffic management plan which becomes a mandatory document for all of them, defining main routes, incident routes and auxiliary routes, regular arrival and departure scenarios, regulations for the city traffic, public transport access and supply level, taxi routes and stops, routes for emergency services and escorts, routes for commercial traffic and delivery as well as press and media provision.
In general TMP’s for large events have to face the following challenges:
• Ensure the accessibility of the exhibition / event area for the needs of all user groups (exhibitors; freight; visitors; VIP’s; etc.)
• Secure the very high peak traffic loads at opening and clothing periods of the event
• Use the existing infrastructural performances optimal
• Avoid disturbances with uninvolved local traffic and transit traffic
• Avoid interferences with residential areas and other goods worthy of protection
• Assuring the sustainability of systems in the long run and for the general benefit of traffic management.
Due to the large number of visitors and the high traffic volumes to be handles at large events, strategies for traffic management concurrently aim at demand management and the optimal use of the existing road infrastructure. This means the promotion of public transport as well as the incorporation of tariff and pricing measures on one side and the influence on the choice of route, the bundling of traffic flow, as well as speed harmonisation and traffic information on the other side.
In Hannover therefore the requirements on road traffic management plan and traffic management tools are as follows:
• TM Systems have to be used flexible due to the size of the event;
• TM Systems have to handle very high peak traffic volumes.
• The TMP has to comprise the complete guidance chain from the long distance motorways down to the fair ground parking areas.
• The TMP has to bundle the whole vehicular traffic to the fair on the motorway and expressway network.
• The TMP has to offer alternative re-routing possibilities as an integral part of the strategic traffic management approach.
These requirements since 1999 have been converted into a typical approach handling traffic for large events. It consists of the traffic management centre "move", a control system for network management in the regional motorway network, line control systems on the major motorways and the flexible deployment of the tidal flow system on the fair expressway, that has been proved successfully during the last years and became an important component of the regional traffic and incident management approach.
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