Traffic Management Plan-Bill Gatton Memorial Freedom 5K Saturday, Run May 26, 2012

May 26, 2012

This is the traffic management plan for the Bill Gatton Honda Memorial Freedom 5K run to be held on Saturday, May 26, 2012. While much of this course follows that standard downtown two-state 5K course, the location of the start and finish lines is different, the order of roadways utilized during the race is different; the route taken in the western area of downtown is different, and the start procedure is different; please note the differences carefully. The basic configuration of the course is detailed below. The “running lane” will be blocked to all vehicular traffic by using lane separators longitudinally along the running lane, and transversely at intersections to keep vehicles from entering the running lane. Police officers, city workers, or race volunteers under police supervision will be stationed at all signalized and major unsignalized intersections to give the runners the right-of-way as directed by the respective police departments. Please refer to the appropriate diagrams and material lists as appropriate.

Please note several important items for this event:

1. If police officers are leading this 5K run in a police cruiser, they cannot lead the entire course, as vehicles cannot travel on the Wes Davis Greenway. If the lead officer is a bicycle patrolman, he can lead the lead runner on the entire course.

2. As with all such events, the race organizer will provide a trail vehicle (and let the city workers and police officers know what kind of vehicle it is) to follow the last runner to pick up any injured or exhausted runners, and to serve as a message to the city workers that the last runner has passed and that no more runners are coming. This vehicle will have to use Volunteer Parkway as a route to get from Melrose Street to 8th Street, for it cannot travel down the Wes Davis Greenway. The race organizers will have to check the Wes Davis Greenway by other means to make sure no runners are left in need of assistance.

Any city vehicles picking up race materials (cones, lane separators, etc.) will do so following the trail vehicle or after all runners are past.

3. The city forces of the two Bristols are responsible for closing the streets and keeping traffic moving in a safe fashion. The 5K run organizers and any forces they may enlist to help them are responsible for running the race itself (i.e., registration, timing and scoring, providing aid stations, manning the trail vehicle, etc.).

4. This race begins under the Bristol sign on State Street. It is not feasible to close State Street east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard for an extended period of time because of heavy vehicle operations in the vicinity of the State Street railroad crossing. Therefore, the race organizers will be registering runners, etc. off of the public right-of-way in a nearby location that they will determine. At 7:45 a.m., a Tennessee police cruiser will block eastbound State Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and a Virginia police cruiser will block westbound State Street at Washington Street. The runners will then go into the street for the 8:00 a.m. start. Just as the race is about to begin, city workers will move the Type III barricades blocking State Street west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard so that the runners can continue west on State Street into the closure area, resetting these barricades immediately afterward. After the runners cross Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and proceed west past that intersection, the police officers on State Street east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard will re-open the street no later than 8:05 a.m. No barricades or other static traffic control devices will be used for this very short closure east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard; it will be accommodated with police techniques only.

Because the start line is under the Bristol sign, the 5K run course will cross the railroad tracks on State Street. Since there is no fixed schedule for trains, neither the City nor the race organizers can guarantee that a train will not be blocking the crossing at the scheduled start time of 8:00 a.m. In the event that a train is blocking the crossing at the scheduled start time, the runners can congregate at the start line under the Bristol sign; as soon as the crossing gates go up, the race can begin. However, should the start of the race be delayed to the point that all of the runners have not crossed the finish line by 9:40 a.m., the race will be declared over and those runners still on the course will be deemed to have not finished the race. The timing and scoring equipment will be immediately removed; State Street downtown must be opened to traffic by 10:00 a.m. for the merchants of downtown to conduct their everyday business.

5. Because of the design of the course with a different start line, the course will operate in a different sequence than the typical downtown 5K courses. From the start line on State Street at the Bristol sign, the runners will go west on State Street to Stoneman Family Drive; go north on Stoneman Family Drive to Goode Street; go east on Goode Street to Piedmont Avenue; go north on Piedmont Avenue to Scott Street; go east on Scott Street to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard; go south on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Melrose Street; go west on Melrose Street to the Wes Davis Greenway; go north on the Wes Davis Greenway to Anderson Street; go east on Anderson Street to 8th Street; go north on 8th Street to State Street; and east on State Street to the finish line in the vicinity of the Paramount Theatre.

In keeping with the past practice of having the finish line on a closed street, instead of a narrow running lane, to accommodate the spectators (this is usually the highest-concentration location of spectators), this requires the closure of State Street. More details on the impacts of this different order of running are listed in the “chronology” section below.

6. There are several streets along this course that have on-street parking. These include northbound Piedmont Avenue from State Street to Scott Street in Virginia; southbound Piedmont Avenue from Goode Street to State Street in Virginia; northbound Stoneman Family Drive in Virginia; eastbound Goode Street from Stoneman Family Drive to Piedmont Avenue in Virginia; northbound Moore Street from State Street to the bank drive-in entrance south of Winston Alley; State Street from Lee Street to Carter Family Way in Virginia; State Street from 8th Street to 5th Street in Tennessee; and 6th Street from Shelby Street to State Street in Tennessee. The respective police departments will have to ensure that there are no parked vehicles in these areas after 6:30 a.m. The balance of the course is either off the roadway or on roadway sections that do not permit or frequently experience on-street parking.

7. By utilizing a narrow running lane on 8th Street instead of closing the roadway altogether, access is maintained to the Farmer’s Market operating at the same time at the Downtown Center.

5K Run. The 5K Run will start at 8:00 a.m.

The 5K Course
1. Start on State Street under the Bristol Sign. The registration of runners will take place off the public right-of-way. State Street east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard will remain open to traffic until 7:45 a.m., when it will be blocked by police cruisers as described above until the runners have started and crossed westbound over Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

2. Westbound on State Street. The runners will cross Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and continue west on State Street (the sign crew workers having pulled the Type III barricades blocking this road out of the way for them to pass). State Street from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to 8th Street/Carter Family Way is closed to traffic for this event.

The runners will cross closed intersections at Lee Street/5th Street, Bank Street, Moore Street/6th Street, and Piedmont Avenue/7th Street; they will turn right onto northbound Stoneman Family Drive

3. Northbound on Stoneman Family Drive. The runners will proceed north on Stoneman Family Drive (which is completely closed to traffic) and turn right onto eastbound Goode Street. They will cross no intersections on Stoneman Family Drive.

4. Eastbound on Goode Street. The runners will proceed east in the eastbound parking lane of Goode Street, crossing out of the closure area as they turn from Stoneman Family Drive onto Goode Street (the sign crew having moved the easternmost Type I barricade at the intersection of Stoneman Family Drive and Goode Street out of the way for the runners to pass and resetting it in place afterward). They will cross Piedmont Avenue (which is closed south of Goode Street) and turn left onto northbound Piedmont Avenue on the east side of Piedmont Avenue.

5. Northbound on Piedmont Avenue. The runners will proceed north in the northbound parking lane of Piedmont Avenue. North of Goode Street, the parking lane will be delineated with lane separators.

Runners will cross intersections at Winston Alley, Cumberland Street (signalized), Merchants Alley, and pass under the railroad bridge; they will turn right onto eastbound Scott Street.

6. Eastbound on Scott Street. The runners will proceed eastward on Scott Street; the block of Scott Street between Moore Street and Piedmont Avenue will be closed to traffic (the sign crew worker will move the Type III barricades out of the way for the runners). Once they cross Moore Street (a four-way STOP intersection), they will run in a narrow running lane on the north side of the street (to avoid interference with the railroad tracks), crossing Lee Street and turning right onto Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.

7. Southbound on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. The runners will proceed southward in the far western (southbound far-right) lane of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (the left lane will still be open to traffic) and continue into Tennessee .

Runners will cross intersections at Cumberland Street, State Street (signalized), Shelby Street (signalized), Anderson Street (signalized), Alabama Street/Locust Street, Ash Street (signalized), Marion Avenue, and turn right onto westbound Melrose Street (a signalized intersection).

8. Westbound on Melrose Street. The runners will proceed on westbound Melrose Street, running in a narrow running lane on the westbound (northernmost) side of the street. They will then turn right onto northbound Wes Davis Greenway. The runners will cross intersections at Marion Avenue and Southside Avenue (a four-way STOP).

9. Northbound on Wes Davis Greenway. The runners will proceed north on the Wes Davis Greenway. The runners will cross the truss bridge over Beaver Creek, the Applebee’s entrance, and the Beaver Creek trestle over Beaver Creek; and 8th Street; they will then make a hard right turn onto eastbound Anderson Street.

10. Eastbound on Anderson Street. The runners will proceed east on Anderson Street, running in the closed far right (southernmost) lane to 8th Street; they will then turn left onto 8th Street, crossing Anderson Street as part of that turn.

11. Northbound on 8th Street. The runners will proceed north on 8th Street, running in a narrow running lane on the northbound (easternmost) side of the street, turning right onto State Street (a sign crew worker having removed a Type III barricade for them).

12. Eastbound on State Street. Having crossed into the closure area at the intersection of State Street and 8th Street/Carter Family Way, the runners will continue on the closed portion of State Street to the finish line near the Paramount Theatre. As soon as the last runner crosses the finish line or at 9:40 a.m. (whichever comes first), State Street will be re-opened to vehicular traffic. Runners can walk along the sidewalks in a cool-down mode, but cannot do so on the pavement of a roadway open to traffic. Any awards ceremony will be take place away from the pavement of public streets.

The runners will cross intersections at Broad Street and Shelby Street.

Chronology of Street Closures

The two Bristol city sign crews will close the appropriate street sections before the race begins, and re-open them afterward. Many of the techniques utilized in previous 5K runs can be used here as well.

The basic chronology of street closures will be as follows:

1. Thursday, May 24. Bristol, Tennessee, will collect lane separators from storage and distribute them between the Virginia and Tennessee sign crews as indicated in the materials chart. Both sign crews will complete preparations other materials as needed.
2. Friday, May 25. Complete staging all signs and barricades for the 5K run. Lane separators and/or cones are not to be staged in the field, but assembled on vehicles and/or trailers for drop-off in the field on Saturday morning.

If desired, cones can be substituted for lane separators for closing turn lanes that are adjacent to the course, but not on the course itself (Piedmont Avenue north of Scott Street, State Street east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, northbound Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard at State Street). Quantities of cones required for these lane closures are shown in the materials list.

3. Saturday, May 26: 5:30 a.m. Both sign crews will meet at the intersection of State Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, and have the means to communicate with each other (by mobile phone or other means). The Virginia sign crew will begin by closing the southbound far right lane on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, starting with the warning signage just south of Buchanan Street. The Virginia sign crew will need to remember to set two cones adjacent to the warning sign on the southern median nose of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard at West Mary Street. During this time, the Tennessee sign crew will close 6th Street north of Shelby Street.

Once the Virginia portion of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard is closed and 6th Street north of Shelby Street is closed, only then can State Street and the short portions of adjacent streets (7th Street, Bank Street, Stoneman Family Drive, Piedmont Avenue, Moore Street, Lee Street) be closed by both sign crews working in coordination.

After State Street is closed, the Virginia sign crew can close Scott Street and set out the cones and/or lane separators along the necessary portions of Piedmont Avenue north of Goode Street, Goode Street east of Stoneman Family Drive, and Scott Street east of Moore Street. Make sure all traffic control devices are sufficiently clear of the active railroad tracks along Scott Street.

After State Street is closed, the Tennessee crew can then close the southbound far right lane of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Tennessee. This Tennessee lane cannot be closed without the same lane being closed in Virginia, because the appropriate upstream warning signage would not be in place. Finally, the Tennessee crew will close the right lane of Anderson Street between Volunteer Parkway and 8th Street, and set out the narrow running lane separators on Melrose Street and on 8th Street.

When both sign crews are finished, they need to meet at State Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to coordinate their next actions.

7:50 a.m. Sign crew members will be stationed at the following locations to move Type III barricades out of the way of the runners and reset them after the trail vehicle has passed. Because the initial portion of the race is being run on a closed roadway, the runners should be “thinned out” enough that moving lane separators out of their way at most intersections should not be necessary. Each city needs two persons for this task, as one of the Tennessee crew can work two locations that are close together, as listed below.

Tennessee: State Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (at the very beginning of the race only)
Stoneman Family Drive at Goode Street
State Street at 8th Street/Carter Family Way

Virginia: Scott Street at Piedmont Avenue
Scott Street at Moore Street 5

8:00 a.m.: The 5K Run Begins. The start procedure indicated on Page 3 will be used to block State Street east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard for a maximum of 20 minutes using police techniques only.

Once the last runner has passed out of the State Street closure area onto Goode Street, the Virginia sign crew can remove the lane separators and Type III barricades along Goode Street, Piedmont Avenue, and Scott Street behind the runners. The lane closure on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard must remain in place until the race is over and State Street is open to traffic. Stoneman Family Drive and Piedmont Avenue south of Goode Street likewise remains closed.

Once the last runner has turned onto Melrose Street, the Tennessee sign crew can begin removing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard southbound right-lane closure, working from Melrose Street and going northwards to State Street. The southbound far-right lane of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Virginia must remain closed to protect the southbound no-right-turn movement at State Street.

This sequence of events should bring both the Tennessee and Virginia sign crews together on State Street in time for the last runner to cross the finish line. Once the last runner has crossed the finish line (or at 9:40 a.m., whichever comes first), the opening of State Street and its short adjacent streets (Lee Street, Moore Street, Piedmont Avenue, Stoneman Family Drive, 7th Street, 6th Street, and Bank Street) is the priority activity.

Once State Street is open, the Virginia sign crew can open their portion of the southbound far right lane of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard while the Tennessee side removes the narrow running lane from 8th Street and Melrose Street and the right lane closure on Anderson Street.

At the end of the event, all traffic control materials will be picked up and returned to the Public Works Department.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Enclosed in this packet are an overall race course drawing, three race course drawings in detail (Virginia Portion, Center Portion, and Southern Portion), and a list of materials for both Tennessee and Virginia.

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