Traffic Operations Policy and Procedures

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power, resulting in 20 per cent or more of the traffic signals being out. The plan is built around the scenario of a full city -wide power outage, but it recognizes that deployment of temporary controls could likely begin during a less - than - citywide event, which could then evolve into a more widespread outage. A secondary assumption is that several hours after the onset of the power outage, normal activity including urban travel would drop to a greatly reduced level throughout the city as a whole. Traffic flow could therefore be heavy during the first three or four hours of the event, which might call for a higher -level response, but the response could be adjusted after the initial period. b. Need for alternative traffic control In contrast to an isolated power outage that might affect a small number of traffic signals, a widespread outage of the type assumed here would result in entire sectors of the city having major intersections with no right -of -way controls. This could occur at night with heavy traffic flows and dark streets, since the street lights would not functioning. The Oregon Vehicle Code does not contain a specific statute covering driver actions at a dark traffic signal. However, since a dark signal cannot control traffic the assumption is that Section 811.275 would apply. This section states the rules of the road for uncontrolled intersections. Under normal operation, -only low- volume intersections operate uncontrolled. Requiring motorists to operate under the provisions of Section 811.275 at higher- volume roadways, those with view restriction problems, and those with unusual geometric configurations might result in chaotic traffic conditions. Therefore this plan assumes the need for alternative intersection controls during a power outage. The Eugene Code gives the city manager or designee the authority to "establish, maintain, remove, or alter" all traffic control devices (5.040 (1) (h)). In addition, section 5.050 of the code provides for emergency authority; Temporary Traffic Controls. Under conditions constituting a danger to the public, the city manager or the manager's designee may install temporary traffic control devices deemed by him or her to be necessary. In this type of event police would begin getting calls to respond to multiple locations, and in short order we could expect both police and fire /ems personnel to get numerous calls because of accidents - -even those of a minor nature. In order to provide a reasonable degree of safety to the public, and to avoid emergency staff being devoted in large numbers to traffic control and traffic - related incidents, some type of temporary intersection control is needed. 2. Range of options considered a. Manual control (i.e. trained staff controlling intersections) Page 22 of 36 Last Revised: 3110/08