Cars and Numbers

Kansas City is home to the relatively new, prestigious Kansas Speedway, where tens of thousands of fans converge to watch racing events, including the NASCAR Winston Cup race each fall. The 75,000-seat facility, 1.5-mile tri-oval track is just off the busy I-70 and I-435 on the west side of Kansas City. Managing the corresponding congestion efficiently and safely has become one of the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) and the Kansas Department of Transportation's (KDOT) top priorities.

Knowing the history of traffic management nightmares at other racetracks in their inaugural years, the KHP and KDOT made it a goal to have the safest and most efficient traffic management of any racetrack in the country. To that end, both agencies made a firm commitment of personnel, equipment and financial resources to ensure success.

With admirable foresight, the KHP, with assistance from KDOT, began planning traffic control for speedway events several years ago, focusing on primary routes, alternative routes, technology and signing. During this planning phase, the KHP ensured they included all stakeholders, such as the Missouri State Patrol, KDOT, Kansas Speedway and other local police departments. Based on the plan requirements, the KHP and KDOT then conducted a scanning tour of available technologies and were impressed by a self-contained portable traffic management system (ADDCO's Smart Zone), which provides real-time information on traffic conditions from sensors and surveillance cameras to operators, allowing them to feed that information back to motorists on dynamic message signs on the same platform.

For each of the three major events of the 2001 racing season, three of the self-contained portable traffic management systems were utilized, along with 12 portable changeable message signs, four highway advisory radio (HAR) transmitters and large quantities of standard traffic control items such as cones, barrels and signs. All of the equipment was procured through an innovative and efficient contracting relationship between KDOT, United Rentals Inc. and ADDCO: All of the equipment was leased and operational staff was provided to the KHP and KDOT for race weekends. In addition to the contracted staff, almost 100 personnel from the KHP and KDOT performed traffic management activities during each race.

The right equipment

The Smart Zone integrates dynamic message signs, detection devices and surveillance cameras on one fully portable, solar-powered platform. It communicates using 2.4-GHz spread-spectrum radio, allowing full-motion video. From live traffic images and complementary detection data, operators then send updated traffic information to motorists in real-time.

The portable changeable message signs (PCMS) used on this project were ADDCO DH1000 All LED Solar-powered signs. These signs feature a Solar Tilt and Rotate (STAR) System, which allows the solar panels to be aimed independently of the sign face. The STAR system allows the PCMS to capture solar energy more efficiently.

A total of four HAR units were used for the 2001 season to convey lengthy route information to motorists two to three miles before the speedway exits. Two of the HAR transmitters were permanent and two were portable.

One of the permanent transmitters belongs to the Missouri DOT to cover the eastern approach to the speedway, and the other is operated by the Kansas Turnpike Authority to cover the western approach. The two portable HAR units utilized are the property of KDOT and manufactured by Highway Information Systems Inc. These units have an effective range of two to five miles. The portable HAR units are capable of being programmed and messages recorded remotely through the use of a cellular modem. The permanent units were activated and messages recorded by calling the operating agency and requesting that a message be broadcast.

The right location

The equipment was stationed strategically on the main routes leading to the speedway and at critical entrance points. Three PCMS were placed on each leg of the interstate system leading to the track. The signs were located at key decision points for visitors to the speedway as well as non-race traffic so alternative routes could be taken to avoid speedway traffic. All of the signs were within a six-mile radius of the track. The Smart Zones were located at the three most critical points for traffic approaching and entering the speedway--the primary track entrance off I-70, the north track entrance off I-435 and at the junction of I-70 and I-435. The HAR units were located approximately six miles away from the track on each leg of I-70 and I-435 leading to the facility.

A unified command post set up in a KDOT office two miles from the Kansas Speedway controlled all of the equipment and personnel. The CCTV, through a spread-spectrum transmission, was made available for viewing in real-time by all of the agencies in the command post and proved an invaluable tool for moving traffic into and out of the Kansas Speedway. Operators changed messages on the signs and HAR to inform motorists of the current best routes through cellular modems.

The right results

There were three major race events scheduled for the 2001 racing season.

On June 6, the ARCA race attracted 45,000 fans. Although the KHP was aware that a full-scale effort was not going to be necessary to manage the traffic for this event, this event was used as a "dress rehearsal" for the larger events to come. All of the ITS-related equipment was deployed and tested along with traffic control equipment and personnel.

The second event of the season was a combination of a NASCAR Truck Series event on Saturday and an Indy Racing League event on Sunday in early July. Both of these races were sold out with 75,000 fans in attendance each day. All equipment and personnel were deployed with modifications to the original traffic management plan made based upon experience from the first race weekend in June.

The ultimate test of the system came on Sept. 29-30, 2001, when the NASCAR Busch Series and Winston Cup Races attracted more than 100,000 fans each day. In addition to the passenger vehicle traffic, recreational vehicles, park-and-ride buses, concession trailers and race team trucks had to be accommodated.

During the weekend of Sept. 29-30, KDOT deployed traffic counting equipment to monitor the time of day, location and volume of traffic on the various routes leading to the speedway. The heaviest volumes occurred between 7:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. on the routes leading into the facility. Almost all of the race traffic had entered the facility by 11:15 a.m., approximately one hour before the race start.

During the first race weekend in June 2001 with approximately 45,000 fans, no significant delays were reported entering the facility due to traffic congestion. Exiting the facility, some delay was encountered. At one location near the I-70 and Kansas Highway 7 interchange, traffic was backed up approximately two miles with vehicles trying to access I-70. This was resolved through cooperation with the local police department closing the interstate access and diverting traffic south on K-32 highway. The closing of access to I-70 from this location was made permanent for the remaining races.

During the second event of the season in July, no significant delays were reported due to ingress and egress of vehicles. The video cameras were used effectively to monitor backups and divert traffic on a real-time basis by sending messages to the portable VMS informing drivers of alternative routes and by radioing troopers in the field informing them when and where to divert traffic.

The most effective strategy used was the periodic opening and closing of the freeway-to-freeway ramps on the southeast side of the speedway at the I-435 and I-70 junction. As the ramp traffic backed up onto the mainline, the ramps were closed and the mainline freeway traffic was diverted to the next exit. As queues on the ramps diminished, traffic was once again allowed to use the ramps. This strategy, which was used several times during the ingress of traffic, proved to be extremely effective in ensuring even flow into all of the speedway entrances.

Traffic leaving the facility caused no significant delays except for two accidents that took place on I-435 and on I-70 soon after the race was over. The most serious of these was a rollover accident that required the closing of multiple lanes. Traffic was cleared from the speedway within 21/2 hours.

At the third event of the season, the NASCAR weekend, traffic was expected to be at its highest levels and suffer significant delays. The race started at 12 p.m. Traffic began entering the facility at 6 a.m. and reached its peak at 8 a.m. The longest queues observed were on I-70 westbound with vehicles backed up in the right lane prior to the track entrance for approximately 11/2 miles. This traffic was still moving relatively well at an estimated 15 to 20 mph, and the time required to enter the speedway parking area from the back of the queue was estimated to be 20 minutes. With more than an hour before the race started, all roadways leading into the Kansas Speedway were at free-flow conditions, and no one was late due to traffic delays.

After the race let out, which is considered the worst period for traffic congestion at race facilities, the roadways leading away from the track were at free-flow condition in a record 11/2 hours as opposed to the normal three- to four-hour NASCAR event clearing time.

The traffic entering and exiting the Kansas Speedway during the 2001 racing season experienced no significant delays and only two reported accidents.

This project was successful due to the cooperation and commitment shown by all of the partners involved. Communications and information sharing is always the critical challenge to an operation of this magnitude. The use of a unified command post bringing all stakeholders into one central location and the deployed ITS equipment ensured that everyone involved knew what was happening on the roadways surrounding the speedway and what cooperative actions were needed. Motorists benefited by a safe, relatively quick entry and exit into and out of the speedway.

KDOT has shared its approach with other speedways and agencies across the U.S. Their goal continues to be safe, efficient travel for motorists, a universally appealing goal leaving risky driving to the racers, not the fans.


Source: TM+E   October 2003   Volume: 8 Number: 4
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