Lake Michigan Interstate Gateway Alliance (LMIGA)

“Standard Operating Procedure and Training”

Guidance Policy

Background

Improving mobilityand reducing travel times are key components to the safe movement of people, goods, and services. Reducing traveler delay and providing traveler information at the proper time and locations reduce the detrimental impact on the regional and national economy. Traveler delay can encompass disruptions caused by congestion, construction, major incidents, hazardous material spills, severe weather conditions, holiday or rush hour traffic patterns, planned special events, as well as other causes. The Lake Michigan Interstate Gateway Alliance (LMIGA) is committed to reducing traveler delay through the use of traffic management techniques, more efficient coordination, and standardized response protocols.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Indiana Department of Transportation (InDOT), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), the Illinois Tollway, and the Chicago Skyway/Indiana Toll Road as members of LMIGA, are committed to the sharing of lane closure information, as lane closures are a major source of delay. In order to expedite and standardize notification procedures, this guidance policy is being created by LMIGA. Member compliance is critical to the success of LMIGAagency operations as deviations from the agreed upon guidance cause system-wide delays and increase traveler delays in the region.

LMIGA Member Commitment

Each agency recognizes that intergovernmental coordination is essential to provide efficienttraveler informationin the region. LMIGA members agree to cooperate in alerting member Traffic Management/Operations Centers of major traffic disruptions in a timely manner. Travelers and motor carrier operators can be notified of delays allowing them to make informed choices on routes that will allow them to get to their destination more reliably and safely.

As LMIGA members, participants are expected to implement agreed upon LMIGA guidelines into their operations as they best can. Also, LMIGA members agree to usethe existing governmental relationships to coordinate and mitigatedisruptions to the interstate system. Joint cooperation in incident management and informing the traveling public arethe basis of the LMIGA mission and a cornerstone to future success.

It shall be the responsibility of each state DOT, Illinois Tollway, the Chicago Skyway, and the Indiana Toll Road to continue interstate cooperation, coordination, and information distribution relative toroad closures and major delays. The LMIGA region is defined as the 40-county area covering southeastern Wisconsin, northern Illinois, northwest Indiana, and southwest Michigan.

Standard Operating Procedures and Training Guidance

As each LMIGA member operates a Transportation Management Program, it is expected that the operators/staff of the program are trained in the agreed upon LMIGA guidelines.

Each agency’s Standard Operating Procedures and/or training program should include:

  • Protocols to promote notification compliance with other LMIGA members
  • Clear reference of the “Lane Closure Guidance” developed by LMIGA
  • Agreement to provide advance notice to other LMIGA members for all full closures by phonecall and/or an e-mail
  • Take other advance notification measures including, but not limited to:
  • Placing messages within each state’s limits on dynamic message signs prior to key decision points on interstate highways
  • Transmitting messages via short range Highway Advisory Radio
  • Sending e-mail notification to commercial vehicle operators
  • Posting notification of delay areas on traveler information web sites
  • Providing 511 traveler information
  • Providing timely and accurate notification to media

Response Time Frame

As each member agency uses different forms of communications and faces different constraints, it is agreed upon by LMIGA agencies to notify other members and the Gateway staff within a thirty-minute timeframe in urban areas and one-hour in rural areas. If these timeframesare not possible due to agency constraints, an acceptable timeframe is to be provided for incorporation into this guidance document.

Agreed Upon Standards

  • All agencies agree to message with the long distance or commercial traveler in mind
  • All agencies have access to digital maps for locations outside their areas
  • All agencies agree to utilize some form of a full closure notification form that includes:
  • Location
  • Direction
  • Type of incident,
  • Anticipatedduration of incident
  • Detour routing, if available
  • All agencies will determine the incident grade according to the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards:
  • A= less than 30 minutes
  • B=30 min to 2 hours
  • C= Longer than 2-Hours
  • All agencies agree to provide Center-to-Center Updates every hourafter issuing a closure notice
  • All agencies agree to provide an all clear notification when the incident is cleared within 30 minutes
  • All agencies agree to provide updates as significant information changes
  • All agencies agree to use the lane closure impact level hierarchy, within their existing system for Level 4 & 5 closures

Actions Expected to be taken by each agency upon receipt of a full closure notice

  • Review information
  • Determine anticipated duration
  • Locate full closure on map
  • Determine closest decision points and update the appropriate DMS sign
  • Determine next level of decision points and update the appropriate DMS sign
  • Determine what HAR sites can be enabled within 15 minutes and activate
  • Determine what Portable DMS can be enabled and deployed within 25 minutes

Page 1