Palm Beach County Traffic Incident Management Team Meeting Minutes – May 2016
Meeting Time: 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Meeting Date: May 3, 2016
Location:
Palm Beach Vista Center
2300 N. Jog Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33411
Introductions
This meeting began at 1:35 pm and was hosted by Mike McGee of AECOM. Mike started introductions and all TIM Team
members introduced themselves.
Jim Jennings from Emerald Towing announced the Fourth Annual Charity Golf Tournament promoting Florida’s Move
Over Law was this weekend, May 7.
David Needham announced the I-95 Express Lanes in Broward County will be starting up the end of May.
Review Action Items
None
District Updates
I-95 Construction Update – Meredith Cruz, The Corradino Group
Indiantown Road, between State Road 710 (Beeline Highway) and Pratt Whitney Road has been closed for the last two
months due to intersection reconstruction and should be opening to traffic during the month of May.
Spanish River Boulevard - Andi Pacini, The Corradino Group
Andi reported that the construction of all five interchange improvements projects is now underway at SW 10 Street and
Hillsboro Blvd, Hypoluxo Road, Woolbright Road, 10 Avenue North, and Donald Ross Road.
I-95 at Spanish River project had lane closures last week in the I-95 southbound direction for bridge demolition over I-95.
This week, there will be closures for the northbound lanes to complete the demolition. Ollie Jones discussed signal timing
changes in the area of the Spanish River construction project.
To view upcoming lanes closures for all projects above, visit www.d4fdot.com
Rapid Incident Scene Clearance (RISC) Program – Mike McGee, AECOM
Mike advised there have been 10 RISC activations in 2016, for the first four months. If this continues, we would be on
course to our highest year to date. There were 4 activations in Broward, 1 in Palm Beach, and 5 in the Treasure Coast.
The 2016 average activation time was 5 minutes, response 51 minutes, notice to proceed, 17 minutes, and clearance 173
minutes.
FHWA SHRP2 Training – Mike McGee, AECOM
Mike discussed the amount of training that has occurred within Palm Beach County agencies since the first of the year.
2016 FHWA SHRP2 Training Statistics FR
LE
TOW
TRANS
OTHER
Total
1/26/2016
0
2
9
0
0
11
Sheehan Towing
3/8/2016
1
9
5
10
1
26
Sheehan Towing
3/14/2016
18
18
West Palm Beach FR
3/22/2016
23
23
Palm Beach Gardens FR
3/23/2016
15
15
Palm Beach Gardens FR
3/29/2016
24
24
Palm Beach Gardens FR
3/30/2016
28
28
Palm Beach Gardens FR
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Palm Beach County Traffic Incident Management Team Meeting Minutes – May 2016
3/31/2016
18
4/2/2016
11
4/8/2016
16
1
18
Palm Beach Gardens FR
12
Palm Beach Gardens FR
16
Boynton Beach FR
191
Palm Beach Fog/Smoke Task Force, Bob Murphy, AECOM
Bob spoke about the State Road 80 Fog/Smoke Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that has been installed from West
Palm Beach to Belle Glade, and which will provide a means to notify motorists when fog and/or smoke conditions exist.
There were complaints from US Sugar Corp. that the signs were blocking the visibility from some of the farm roads so,
approximately half of them have been removed.
Florida Forest Service maps were shown of current and projected fire dangers throughout the state.
Bob also discussed the US 27 project where brush clearing is being performed along the shoulders.
Florida Turnpike – Michael Washburn, Incident Management
Roadway clearance times for Jan – Mar 2016 were 90 minutes or less, 86% of the time.
RISC events for 2016 were at 34 and may indicate a continued trend in increased annual RISC activations. Average
clearance time for 2016 is 136.2 minutes.
Mike then reviewed two RISC STEALTH reports from the turnpike.
The STARR program for 2016 averaged 20:51 minutes and Sister’s Towing made their 15 minute arrival 93% of the time.
System wide, arrival time is 88%.
Mike discussed the Sono-Blaster pilot program and difficulties they have had with breakage and false alarms. Tom
Dickson from FDOT D4 SIRV program said they have had better results.
Presentations
FHWA TIM Team Self-Assessment meeting – Mike McGee, AECOM
Mike announced the special meeting being called to conduct the FHWA TIM Team self-assessment this year, due to
FDOT moving up the final submission date to the end of May. He encouraged all incident responders from all three TIM
Teams to try to attend the special meeting which will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at the Regional
Transportation Management Center.
Mike presented photographs of an FHP Trooper vehicle involved in a crash that occurred on Friday, April, 29 on I-95
northbound, north of Yamato Road. Two vehicles crashed, one slid into the median barrier wall, and then slid into the rear
of the Trooper’s SUV. The Trooper received minor injuries.
Post Incident Analysis
There were no presentations at this meeting.
Training Safety Tip
Mike showed photographs of a vehicle from I-4 in Polk County that was on fire next to a high mast light pole. The
heat was so severe, that the steel light pole lost its structural integrity and collapsed away from the roadway and
incident responders on scene. It was emphasized that on arrival, incident responders need to consider the height
of the pole and the radius, if it were to collapse. Incident responders need to stage equipment outside, or close
traffic, that would “fall” within the radius of the pole.
Open Discussion
Bridjette Bucell from Florida Department of Environmental Protection brought up a past RISC-type incident that
occurred on I-95 between PGA Blvd and Donald Ross Road involving four tractor trailers, three crashes, and two
fuel spills on October 9, 2015 at 12:24 hours. Tpr. Bucell stated that she was on scene at 2200 that evening,
when the fuel spill mediation began by SWS. She had asked incident responders to remain on scene with long
term MOT and everyone left. Several points were discussed with the TIM Team:
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Palm Beach County Traffic Incident Management Team Meeting Minutes – May 2016
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The importance of long term MOT when incident responders are going to be remaining on the scene.
The asset maintenance company FDI Services, which does provide long term MOT, did not remain on the
scene. There was discussion if FDI should have remained on the scene and what were their
responsibilities.
It was emphasized that Road Rangers do not provide long term MOT.
Tim Day from Sister’s Towing offered that if SWS was responding, based on the time of night they were
arriving, they should have made provisions for long term MOT, to establish a safe work zone while they
performed the fuel remediation.
Lt. Jeffrey Johnson and Mike McGee discussed changes to FHP Troop L. Captain John Cataldo has retired and
Captain Kevin Strickland has been promoted to command of Lake Worth and Ft. Pierce districts. Lt. Johnson
indicates there will be a promotion in the future to fill the Ft. Pierce district.
Bob Murphy brought up the multiple fatality crash in Palm Beach County that was reported to be in Martin County.
Road Rangers and SIRV from Palm Beach County were not dispatched because of the inability to utilize CCTV to
verify location at night. It was generally agreed that even if the incident was slightly within Martin County, Road
Rangers and SIRV should have been utilized.
Action Items:
Review the multiple tractor trailer crash that Tpr. Bucell referred to and investigate the long term MOT
requirements by FDI, SWS, and FDEP.
Attendees:
Atkins
Broedell
Bucell
Corbo
Cruz
Day
Dickson
Edwards
Etienne
Fashaw
Forest
Jennings
Johnson
Jones
Luna
Main
Murphy
Needham
Pacini
Reed
Russell
Saxon
Vincent
Washburn
Mike
Shon
Bridjette
Raul
Meredith
Tim
Tom
James
Ralph
Bertram
Nicole
Jim
Jeffrey
Ollie
Luis
Jeff
Robert
David
Andrea (Andi)
Harold
Geoff
Larry
Jeremy
Michael
DBI Services
Palm Beach Gardens FR
FDEP
Anchor Towing
The Corradino Group
Sister’s Towing
SIRV Manager
FHP - CVE
Florida’s Turnpike
Riviera Beach FR
FDOT D4 Freeway Operations Manager
Emerald Towing
FHP
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Anchor Towing
Palm Beach Gardens PD
AECOM
AECOM
The Corradino Group
PBC Traffic Engineering
Kauff’s Towing
PB SIRV Operator
FDEP
Florida Turnpike
Total: 24
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