Rural Preparedness for Traffic Control in Agricultural Emergencies

This paper explores the extent to which rural areas are prepared to handle the traffic control required for a large-scale quarantine related to an agricultural emergency. On the basis of a literature review and interviews with law enforcement, agriculture, transportation, and emergency response officials in several rural counties around the country, the current level of state and local preparedness for an agricultural emergency such as a foreign animal disease is explored. The gaps in such preparedness at both the state and local levels, related primarily to traffic control, are the next focus. Remedial recommendations follow and encompass constraints, such as the limited resources of rural counties and the division of responsibility among federal, state, and local officials. Finally, a set of tools for planning and implementing traffic control in an agricultural emergency is provided for local responders. These tools include a table of roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in each of the three phases of response, a description of three levels of traffic control, a route prioritization scheme, and traffic control diagrams. These tools are taken from A Guide to Traffic Control of Rural Roads in an Agricultural Emergency, which was produced as part of NCHRP Project 20-59(22).