Microsoft PowerPoint - ITE Ike Presentation

(Converted from Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation, approximate slide layout retained)

Hurricane Ike Traffic Signal Preparation & Recovery

Presented by:

Jeffrey S. Weatherford, P.E., PTOE

Sr. Assistant Director/City Traffic Operations Engineer

Traffic and Transportation Division

Department of Public Works and Engineering

City of Houston, TX

^Hurricane ^IKE

■ Not the Typical Category 2 Hurricane

- Category 2 Winds

- Category 4 Storm Surge

- Very Large Storm

- NOAA & NWS Are Looking at How Storms Are Categorized as a Result of Ike.

Hurricane IKE

Buffalo Bayou in Houston

Hurricane IKE

Downtown Houston

City of Houston Traffic Signal Background

■ The City currently operates and maintains 2,426 traffic signals within the City Limits.

- This includes several hundred TxDOT signalized intersections

- This also includes pedestrian and fire station signals.

- This does not include flashers such as those used for school zones and advance warnings.

■ Each signalized intersection has between 12 - 20 traffic and pedestrian signal heads, depending on intersection size.

■ This yields a total number of approximately 40,000 individual traffic signal heads throughout the City.

Preparation for Ike

■ Began Planning Meetings on Wednesday, September 10.

- Scheduling of Staff Resources

■ Planning for Staffing Levels During the Storm

■ Reporting Responsibilities After the Storm

- Facilities Checks

■ Food, Water, Generator Operation & Fuel, Cots

- Began Planning for After Storm Priorities

Preparation for Ike (Continued)

■ On September 11, Continued Planning Process

■ Focused on After Storm Responsibilities

- Primary Responsibility Immediately After the Storm

■ Clearing Debris

- Traffic Signal Related Debris

■ Hanging Signal Heads, Cables Down, Mast Arms Down

- Other Storm Related Debris As Necessary

■ Trees, roofing, building parts, etc.

Preparation for Ike (Continued)

■ Contact lists for contractors and material suppliers were updated.

■ On Thursday, we began releasing staff so they could make personal preparations.

■ Traffic Engineering staff was briefed on assessment activities to be carried out after the storm.

- Immediately after the storm, signal timing techs assisted maintenance techs in recovery.

- Signal engineers were assigned the task of assessing damage.

- Other engineering staff was assigned the task of assessing damage to traffic control signs.

Preparation for Ike (Continued)

■ On Friday, September 12

- Incident Command System Implemented

- Made final equipment checks

■ Fueled vehicles

■ Finished restocking materials on trucks

■ Pre-positioned equipment in outlying areas.

- Final coordination meetings held.

Restoration Strategy

■ Three Major Tasks

■ Assessments

- Necessary to determine what materials were needed and to document damage

■ Emergency Repairs

- Work necessary to get signals functioning (green, yellow, red)

■ Restoration

- Makes repairs to return the signals to pre-storm condition

Emergency Repair Strategy

■ Developed a Tier System for Response

- First Tier

■ Highest Volume Thoroughfares

- Westheimer, Bellaire, Shepherd, etc.

■ Downtown

■ Texas Medical Center

■ Reliant Stadium Area

■ Freeway Frontage/Feeder Roads

Emergency Repair Strategy

■ Developed a Tier System for Response

Image of transporation employees fixing a damaged street light

- Second Tier

■ Major Thoroughfares

- Third Tier

■ Minor Thoroughfares

- Fourth Tier

■ Other locations on Flash

Hurricane Ike Damage

■ In Houston, Hurricane Ike was primarily a wind event.

- Traffic signals are extremely vulnerable to wind.

- With limited flooding, the majority of the traffic control cabinets survived the storm.

- Estimated that more than 2000 traffic signals had some damage and more than 2200 without power or flashing immediately after the storm._

Hurricane Ike Damage

After Hurricane Ike

■ Saturday morning, after the winds dropped below Tropical Storm force, we began deploying crews to begin debris removal and assessment.

■ Remaining field staff began reporting at 12:00 noon on Saturday.

■ Engineering staff began damage assessments.

■ Daily planning meetings held to set assignments for the upcoming shifts.

- As contractors came on board, we set up "hunting patches" with defined boundaries where each group would work each day.

Staffing

■ City of Houston Crews

- 53 Electricians and Hardware Analysts

- 27 Equipment Workers

■ Working as Electrician's Helpers

■ Most Normally Assigned to Signing and Pavement Markings

■ 40-2 Person Crews

■ 2 Crews from San Antonio

■ 2 Crews from Dallas

■ Harris County & Metropolitan Transit Authority staff and contractors also assisted City forces.

Image of PW vehicle working to fix street light

Staffing

■ City crews worked 12 hour shifts (60 hr weeks) for three weeks after the storm.

■ City crews were on duty 24 hours, 7 days a week.

- Lighter shifts on weekends

■ These crews averaged repairs on 50 to 100+ traffic signals per day.

■ Hired inspectors from Construction Management firms.

Contractors

■ 9 Traffic Signal Contractors Hired

- American Lighting & Signal - 20 Crews

- Republic Electric - 20 Crews

- B & B Electric - 8 Crews

- Pfeiffer Electric - 3 Crews

- Reliable Electric - 3 Crews

- TrafTex - 3 Crews

- Statewide Electric - 3 Crews

- TSC -3 Crews

- TCD - 3 Crews

■ Total of 66 Contractor Crews working under direction of City or Contract Inspectors

Contractors

■ Contractor forces performed complete restorations.

■ They were assigned more heavily damaged areas.

■ The projects they worked on required multiple crews and take longer to complete

- They were able to complete 50+ intersections per day.

Materials

■ Due to immediate need, staff examined

salvaged equipment to reclaim useable materials such as:

- Signal mounting hardware,

- LEDs

- Signal sections to build signals.

Materials

■ The City placed orders for materials from various manufacturers on Monday, September 15:

- Signal Heads

- LEDs

- Signal mounting hardware

- Load Switches

- Flashers

- CPU Cards

- Conflict Monitors

■ Beginning on Friday, September 19, daily shipments began arriving.

No Battle Plan Survives Contact With the Enemy

■ Issues impacting the Emergency Repair Strategy

- Houston Police Department requests

- Metropolitan Transit Authority requests along bus routes

- Centerpoint requests

- Power coming back on forced the return to intersections

- Additional problems caused signals that had been operating properly to go into flash.

■ The most common issue was shorted cable.

Additional Challenges

■ Materials

- Our capacity to implement repairs quickly outstripped our ability to provide materials.

■ Changing priorities.

■ Perception that all traffic signal timing data was lost and had to be redone.

■ Public perception that progress was slow.

- Became an issue in election campaigns.

- It became necessary to provide daily updates on progress to the public.

Signal Operations Web Site

Image of map schematic of signal operations in Houston TX

Summary

■ All signals operating normally by October 5^th.

■ Costs

- Overtime costs incurred - $353K

- EPOs issued for materials - $2.03M

- EPOs issued for contractor services - $6.77M

- Estimated total costs to date - $9.15M



	^Hurricane ^IKE

		■ Not the Typical Category 2 Hurricane - Category 2 Winds - Category 4 Storm Surge - Very Large Storm - NOAA & NWS Are Looking at How Storms Are Categorized as a Result of Ike.



			Preparation for Ike (Continued)

		■ On Friday, September 12 - Incident Command System Implemented - Made final equipment checks ■ Fueled vehicles ■ Finished restocking materials on trucks ■ Pre-positioned equipment in outlying areas. - Final coordination meetings held.



			Restoration Strategy

		■ Three Major Tasks ■ Assessments - Necessary to determine what materials were needed and to document damage ■ Emergency Repairs - Work necessary to get signals functioning (green, yellow, red) ■ Restoration - Makes repairs to return the signals to pre-storm condition



			Emergency Repair Strategy

		■ Developed a Tier System for Response - First Tier ■ Highest Volume Thoroughfares - Westheimer, Bellaire, Shepherd, etc. ■ Downtown ■ Texas Medical Center ■ Reliant Stadium Area ■ Freeway Frontage/Feeder Roads



	Emergency Repair Strategy

■ Developed a Tier System for Response


		- Second Tier ■ Major Thoroughfares - Third Tier ■ Minor Thoroughfares - Fourth Tier ■ Other locations on Flash



			Staffing

		■ City of Houston Crews - 53 Electricians and Hardware Analysts - 27 Equipment Workers ■ Working as Electrician's Helpers ■ Most Normally Assigned to Signing and Pavement Markings ■ 40-2 Person Crews ■ 2 Crews from San Antonio ■ 2 Crews from Dallas ■ Harris County & Metropolitan Transit Authority staff and contractors also assisted City forces.



			Contractors

		■ 9 Traffic Signal Contractors Hired - American Lighting & Signal - 20 Crews - Republic Electric - 20 Crews - B & B Electric - 8 Crews - Pfeiffer Electric - 3 Crews - Reliable Electric - 3 Crews - TrafTex - 3 Crews - Statewide Electric - 3 Crews - TSC -3 Crews - TCD - 3 Crews ■ Total of 66 Contractor Crews working under direction of City or Contract Inspectors



			Materials

		■ Due to immediate need, staff examined salvaged equipment to reclaim useable materials such as: - Signal mounting hardware, - LEDs - Signal sections to build signals.



			Additional Challenges

		■ Materials - Our capacity to implement repairs quickly outstripped our ability to provide materials. ■ Changing priorities. ■ Perception that all traffic signal timing data was lost and had to be redone. ■ Public perception that progress was slow. - Became an issue in election campaigns. - It became necessary to provide daily updates on progress to the public.