Impact of Providing Real-Time Traffic Information on No-Notice or Short-Notice Evacuation Efficiency – A Case Study

Abstract

Today’s travelers are able to access real-time traffic information through a variety of options, such as variable message signs and in-vehicle global positioning systems that can receive real-time traffic information. It is important to take into account this technological improvement in modeling emergency evacuations. This research focuses on investigating no-notice or short-notice emergency evacuations necessitated by nuclear power plant accidents. Different from previous studies, the impact of providing real-time traffic information and en-route drivers’ rerouting behavior is explicitly modeled in this research. A case study is conducted that considers various traffic information dissemination strategies. The results suggest that real-time traffic information can play an important role in expediting the evacuation process.