Having a large event in your city can be an exciting experience. It can raise residents’ spirits and increase awareness of your city’s unique characteristics. But with large-scale events comes an influx of traffic flow around the city and the venue itself. While this is beneficial for local businesses and tourism, it also brings challenges with traffic congestion for everyday citizens and event attendees.
Urban areas that are already traffic-heavy can experience delays and confusion. Implementing a clear traffic management plan in advance is important for reducing potential issues. Our guide to traffic control for events and cities will help ensure your city hosts a great event while keeping safety a priority.
City traffic control measures should always prioritize safety, especially because road accidents cause around 1.19 million fatalities annually. Without a clear plan of action that considers all potential scenarios, you risk damaging several important matters beyond the event:
With so much to consider, putting a plan in place is a great way to keep everyone on the same page and working safely together. A detailed traffic control strategy should be implemented before the event and include insights from every affected party, including:
By getting a clearer picture of where you want to direct traffic safely, you can plan where to put your visual cues and signage. It’ll involve a combination of vehicle movement management and pedestrian safety measures. Consider whether your event will require the closure of a main street or intersection for its duration. How will this affect the flow of traffic?
A large event will always require some reroutes and potential road closures. To avoid complicating this, consider the event from the perspectives of an attendee, a city commuter and a pedestrian. Pinpoint key areas of congestion and determine what detour routes may be needed.
Knowing the approximate turnout for an event is an important part of traffic control. To estimate event attendee numbers, you can use pre-event surveys and online registrations for a general idea of how much traffic flow to expect.
You can also search through your city’s historical data to determine past attendance numbers for similar events. If in doubt, use the venue’s maximum capacity as a barometer of the highest possible guest count as part of your estimate.
Not all cities are built to accommodate parking for a large influx of visitors attending a large event. It’s essential that parking zones are clearly marked and that there are regular updates of available spaces during peak arrival times.
Situations where attendees block city streets or emergency service routes need to be avoided, so plan for the right number of spaces, locations and people necessary to guide new arrivals.
Separating pedestrians and vehicles can reduce event traffic control risks. Clearly defined pathways and travel routes will help maintain a fluid flow of foot and car traffic without safety concerns. However, there may be scenarios where separating pedestrian and vehicle areas via walkways and tunnels isn’t an option. In those cases, be sure to implement the following measures:
The specific needs of each event will depend on the venue size and the city’s design. However, city traffic control safety methods for separating vehicles and pedestrians are essential. Some of the most commonly used safety devices for this purpose help protect people from danger while making it easier for all involved to follow clearly defined paths.
Although your needs depend on the event and unique traffic conditions involved, common examples include:
Traffic cones are a versatile and cost-effective method of safety management for event traffic. They tend to be fluorescent and reflective, making them ideal for both night and day. In terms of convenience, it’s easy to set out and clean up a set of traffic cones before and after an event.
While they offer many benefits, traffic safety cones are also very light, which can mean instability in the event of adverse weather. If a vehicle connects with a row of cones, it won’t provide much protection for pedestrians, as they act more as a deterrent than an actual barrier.
Safety barriers like fencing, rails or curbs will create a stronger defense than cones. They’re also good for restricted areas that may need extra security measures during the event. Traffic and guidance signs can also be placed on many of these barriers to keep communication going along the path to the venue.
However, a rowdy crowd can break down these barriers if they are not secured properly. Some safety barriers can also become a trapped enclosure if too many people rush toward them at once due to overcrowding, which can worsen safety issues.
Retractable city bollards offer a convenient and robust way to control vehicle flow while protecting pedestrians at the same time. Their ability to retract makes them incredibly flexible, sitting flush with the ground when no longer needed within a matter of seconds.
While they are also built to withstand all weather conditions, effective automatic bollard installation is not easy and requires the services of a professional company.
Preparing for a range of safety scenarios can ultimately prevent them from happening, leading to a successful, problem-free event:
If you’re looking for specific proven countermeasures to safety issues in speed management, local road safety or pedestrian/cyclist matters, the Federal Highway Administration has additional resources available.
Blockaides specializes in bollards and barriers that increase protection for buildings and people. We understand that no two events will ever run the same way, and we evaluate your needs with care to improve your safety.
Since 2010, we’ve been crafting our reputation as a leading security bollard and barrier distributor. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
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