Overview
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) 2018 Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Strategic Plan was developed under the leadership of the State Traffic Engineering and Operations Office (STEOO), Incident Management/Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO) Program Division. District-level TIM Managers and support personnel also contributed significantly with input, guidance and representation of stakeholder interests. The state of Florida enjoys a mature traffic incident management (TIM) program. Examples of the more than three decades of investment and successes that set the stage for envisioning a future include: • Technology – Regional or Satellite Traffic Management Centers (RTMCs/STMCs) integrate data from Intelligent Transportation System (ITS ) field devices, state law enforcement computer aided dispatch (CAD) and other sources to detect and verify incidents, coordinate response activities, and provide information to responders and motorists. • Resources – FDOT’s service patrol program, known as the Road Rangers, patrols more than 1,500 centerline miles of freeways proactively identifying incidents and clearing roadways. The Rapid Incident Scene Clearance (R ISC) incentive based heavy-duty wrecker program is available in several Districts to support quick clearance of major incidents.
• Institutional - FDOT is a leader nationally in providing a well-established structure to support TIM. This structure includes a full-time statewide TIM Program Manager in FDOT’s Central Office, TIM Program Managers in each district, a statewide TIM Working Group to facilitate continued collaboration amongst TIM partner disciplines and multiagency, multidiscipline stakeholder representation in twenty-five (25) active local TIM Teams in all seven FDOT Districts and Florida's Turnpike. These examples and FDOT’s recognition and reinforcement of TIM as a critical Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSM&O) Program element have positioned the state for continued and future success. However, even with existing investments and innovations in TIM, much work remains for enhancing TIM in Florida. An agency-wide strategic plan, at its core, is designed to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations, and ensure that stakeholders are working toward common goals.