Traffic management planning in Melbourne is an essential part of every emergency response plan. Not only does it help you to determine the most effective way for emergency responders to reach a specific location, but it also provides a framework for making decisions about how your organization will respond in the event of an incident.

The Importance of Traffic Management Planning

A traffic management plan is a document that outlines the strategies and tactics for managing traffic during an emergency or incident. A well-developed plan helps to reduce the risks of accidents and injuries to people, property, and the environment. It also helps protect critical infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels, and power lines by reducing congestion on these structures during inclement weather conditions (e.g., snow storms).

 It also ensures that emergency vehicles have access to areas where they're most needed during times of crisis (e.g., hurricanes).

Identify Potential Roadway Bottlenecks

Identify potential roadways that are most likely to experience traffic congestion. Consider factors such as:

  • The number of lanes. More lanes can accommodate more vehicles and reduce the likelihood of bottlenecks. However, it's also possible for traffic to back up on multiple-lane roads if there are too many cars or trucks trying to use them at once or if there is an accident somewhere along the route.
  • The number of intersections along a given roadway segment (the distance between two consecutive intersections). Intersections provide access points for vehicles entering or exiting your street network; therefore, if there are many intersections within a short distance from one another, this may increase congestion due to merging and diverging movements at these points throughout peak travel times when there is increased traffic volume due to commuter demand or events happening nearby (e.g., sports games).
  • Traffic volumes themselves can help identify possible bottlenecks based on historical data collected over time--for example: "If we expect 15% more people coming into town today compared with yesterday's numbers due to some big event happening downtown tonight.

Analyze Current Traffic Patterns

The first step to effective traffic management planning is to analyze current traffic patterns. This can be done by reviewing existing data and information, such as:

  • Traffic flow
  • Traffic congestion
  • Accident rates
  • The volume of cars traveling through different areas at different times of day (or night), including how many vehicles are traveling in each lane of a road or highway, and how fast those vehicles are going.
  • Density refers to the number of vehicles on the road per square mile (or kilometer).

Determine the Traffic Emergency Response Plan

Once you've established your traffic management goals and objectives, it's time to determine the emergency response plan for traffic control and diversion. This will include:

  • Establishing a plan for dealing with emergencies in your area.
  • Determining how you'll deal with traffic control during an emergency situation.
  • Creating a plan for traffic diversion if needed--for example, onto alternative routes or through other areas where there won't be any congestion (such as highways).

Conclusion

Traffic management planning in Melbourne is an important step in ensuring that your community is safe and efficient. Planning ahead will help you identify potential roadways and make decisions on how they should be managed during an emergency or other event.

Source By: Key Considerations For Effective Traffic Management Planning