This feasibility study examines a potential evacuation plan for HACC's Harrisburg campus to address yearly traffic congestion caused by events at the adjacent Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. The study analyzes traffic patterns and students' transportation methods based on a survey of 100 students. It also discusses the campus's two access points, collaboration with local organizations to address the issue, and a recent trial of using an alternate evacuation route. The potential for the industrial road to serve as a permanent evacuation route is also considered based on its compatibility with existing systems and reliability.

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Feasibility Study of an Evacuation Plan for HACC,
Harrisburg Campus, regarding Yearly Traffic Congestion
Figure 1: Traffic Congestion on Capital Beltway, John Harris Bridge, I-83, Harrisburg, PA
Prepared for: Professor Sascha Skucek
Prepared by: Verley J. W. Valérius
Date: April 28, 2016

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………………. 4
Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Data Section ……………………………………………………………………………………. 8
I- Traffic Outlook at HACC, Harrisburg Campus ……………………………………... 8
II- HACC Harrisburg Students’ Transportation Means ………………………………... 9
III- Students’ Concern Regarding Traffic Condition ………………..…………………. 11
IV- Collaboration of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center
Administration …………………………………………………………………………. 12
V- HACC Institutional Efforts to Better Traffic ……………………………………….. 13
VI- HACC’s Recent Attempted Strategy of Evacuation ………………………………. 14
VII- Potentiality of Industrial Road to Be an Evacuation Route ………………………. 14
1- Compatibility with Existing System ……………………………………….... 15
2- Adaptability and Reliability ……………………………………………….... 16
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………………... 17
Recommendations ……………………………………………………………………………... 19
Glossary ………………………………………………………………………………………... 20
References ……………………………………………………………………………………... 21

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Figures and Tables
Figure 1. Traffic Congestion on Capital Beltway, John Harris Bridge, I-83, Harrisburg, PA ………... 1
Figure 2. Estimation of Traffic Expectancy from and to HACC Harrisburg Campus …………. 9
Figure 3. Number of HACC Harrisburg Students Who Drive or Take Buses …………………. 10
Table 1. Tendency of Students to Travel Different Ways Because of the National Events ….... 11
Figure 4. Student’s Concern about the Traffic Congestion ……………………………………. 12

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Executive Summary
HACC Harrisburg campus has been facing major traffic congestion for over 15 years.
This traffic issue is caused by national events that take at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex
and Expo Center. The campus has two different points of access, HACC Drive and Industrial
Road. Most students leave campus via HACC Drive, where the traffic is seriously backed up at
the main entrance for both traffic leaving and coming on to campus. The rest of the students use
Industrial Road, which is hardly affected by any events happening at the Complex and Expo
Center. This report, as a feasibility study on an evacuation plan for HACC Harrisburg campus
regarding the traffic condition, mainly focuses on the traffic outlook at HACC Harrisburg
campus, HACC Harrisburg students’ transportation means, students’ concerns regarding traffic
inconvenience, collaboration of Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center
administration, HACC’s institutional efforts to ameliorate traffic, HACC’s last attempted
strategy of evacuation and the potentiality of Industrial Road to be a solution option to the
problem.
One hundred of the campus students took a survey about the issue. The five-question
survey revealed several aspects of the situation. It was used to elaborate about the traffic outlook
at HACC Harrisburg campus, HACC Harrisburg students’ transportation means and students’
concerns about the traffic condition. In terms of traffic outlook, the survey provided an estimate
traffic pattern about where most students of the campus come from. It also informed about the
transportation means students use to come to HACC, the system the majority of them use, the
students’ desire to see improvement in the traffic system and the importance of Industrial Road
to students.

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The Administrative Board of the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center has
taken actions considering the traffic condition. They plan events a year ahead by organizing
traffic management meetings several times a year, where HACC, PennDOT, State Police,
Capitol Police and Susquehanna Township representatives, including the Administrative Board
of the Center come together to discuss possibilities to decrease traffic as much as possible. The
more collaborative aspect of the Center displays in associating HACC with PennDOT to figure
out possible strategies that could eventually solve the traffic issue.
HACC has repeatedly taken actions about the traffic congestion, yet the situation has
hardly changed. HACC has allowed the Center to use 3 700 parking spaces on campus for one of
the national events, Farm Show, and shortened its Spring semester from 15 to 14 weeks.
Unfortunately, HACC has not found a strategy that satisfies the need to solve the congestion.
The last attempted strategy consisted of using Industrial Road as an evacuation route since traffic
was too congested at the main entrance during events at the Complex and Expo Center last
February. Officer Bishop, Public Safety and Security Supervisor on campus, claimed that the
evacuation of campus was quicker than usual. “However, the strategy is to be evaluated,” added
Officer Bishop.
Lastly, two important developed points exhibit the potentiality of Industrial Road to be
considered a solution option to the traffic problem HACC Harrisburg campus has been dealing
with: its compatibility with existing system, and adaptability and reliability.

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Introduction
HACC Harrisburg campus shares its main entrance with the Pennsylvania Farm Show
Complex and Expo Center as well as some nearby industries. The Center, well-known on the
national scale, annually hosts more than two hundred shows, including the Farm Show, sporting
events and meetings, according to its own official website. National events at the Center
represent a major inconvenience to the traffic flow coming on and leaving campus through the
shared entrance. In an interview with Shiree Hunter, Chief of Security at the Farm Show
Complex and Expo Center, she said that “national events such as Farm Show, Great American
Outdoor Show and Motorama Races and Shows bring thousands of thousands of people from all
over Pennsylvania to the Center.” On weeks of national events, all this traffic converges with
HACC and the industries traffic, which creates intense congestion at the entrance.
HACC students who both take the bus and drive complain about the traffic condition.
Their complaints, however, are passive. One hundred of them took a survey in March 2016. The
survey reveals that they aspire for a solution to the traffic issue. David Bishop, Public Safety and
Security Supervisor at HACC, claimed that his department, paired with PennDOT, is working to
improve the traffic. In terms of point of access to HACC Harrisburg campus, students have two
different options. They could either use HACC Drive, by the main entrance, or Industrial Road,
the back road along the campus west parking lot. Students who leave campus by HACC Drive
often involve in the traffic. On the other hand, students who use Industrial Road, have hardly
experience this problem. To address such a traffic situation, HACC should consider creating a
permanent evacuation plan using the Industrial Road during the weeks of the national events.
This report focuses on all the aspects that would allow HACC to design an effective and
long-lasting evacuation plan regarding the traffic congestion. The major focuses of this report are

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traffic outlook at HACC Harrisburg campus, HACC Harrisburg students’ transportation means,
students’ concerns regarding traffic condition, collaboration of Pennsylvania Farm Show
Complex and Expo Center administration, HACC institutional efforts to better traffic, HACC’s
recent attempted strategy of evacuation and potentiality of Industrial Road to be an evacuation
route for the campus. It evaluates the probability for an evacuation plan, and the feasibility to
make the plan productively durable.

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Data Section
I- Traffic Outlook at HACC, Harrisburg Campus
“HACC Harrisburg campus has been experiencing this major traffic situation for over 15
years,” affirmed Officer Bishop, as he has been serving HACC for such a time period.
Considering the officer’s claim, the traffic problem is older than his time at HACC. The situation
has created complaints from HACC students. A total of 7, 940 full and part-time students
enrolled at the Harrisburg campus for Spring 2016 (HACC’s website). The majority of those
students live in Harrisburg and cities located at a fair distance from it (Figure 1). One hundred of
them took a survey in March 2016 about the traffic congestion. The survey contained five
questions and took the students about a minute to complete it. The purpose of the survey was to
gather students’ concerns about the issue, directions they take both coming to HACC and going
back home, their preferences on how they get on and off campus when there are events or not.
The survey was intentionally distributed in three different buildings on campus, the McCormick
Library, Cooper Center cafeteria as well as the Rose Lehrman Arts Center. However, random
students took it. The reason for such a distribution was because those places on campus present a
picture of students from different backgrounds, which points the possibility of collecting data
from as many cities as possible. Since this report focuses on traffic, the more cities the survey
would cover the better the problem could be addressed, and the more effective the solution.
The survey covers a total amount of twenty-six cities for the hundred students who took it
(Figure 2). Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Hershey, Lancaster and Gettysburg, in a
decreasing order, are the cities where more students come from. So the traffic expectancy for
those cities is higher than the rest of the other twenty cities.

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Figure 2. – Estimation of Traffic Expectancy from and to HACC Harrisburg Campus
II- HACC Harrisburg Students’ Transportation Means
According to the survey, students who attend HACC use two different means of
transportation. They either take the bus or drive. Most of HACC students use the private system
(Figure 3), which is basically driving and carpooling. Those students have a several options to
whether leave or come on campus. Students who use the public system have only one option of
getting on and off campus. The buses that come to HACC for student pick-ups and drop-offs are
CAT, which mainly serves Harrisburg, LT, travels between Harrisburg and Lebanon, and Rabbit
Transit, between Harrisburg, York and Gettysburg. Following their fixed routes, they enter the
campus by the Industrial Road and leave by the main entrance. Regarding the bus system, there
is not much HACC can personally do. However, focusing the majority of students who drive
would also help the others who take the bus. Based the survey, 87 percent of students drive,
48%
9%
6%
4%
4%
3% 2% 2% 2%
18%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
NumberofStudents
Cities

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while the other 13 percent the take bus. With the main focus on the private system, the plan
would not leave the public system. On the contrary, it would help by working with the flexibility
the private system has to use both access points to evacuate campus.
Figure 3: Number of HACC Harrisburg Students Who Drive or Take Buses
Some students drive to HACC using HACC main entrance, or driving back home using
Industrial Road. Some others do the opposite depending on where they live. In the meanwhile,
there are other students who consistently travel either by the main entrance or the Industrial
Road. The survey reveals the events at the Complex and Expo Center to be the trend behind
students’ attitudes of switching ways of travel. Students who change ways of traveling become
accustomed to traveling back and forth using different roads. Those students can determine the
faster of the two to exit campus. Students who leave campus only by HACC main entrance spend
more time in traffic. The survey also shows that there is an increase in the number of students
who travels Industrial Road when there are national events at the Complex and Expo Center
(Table 1).
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
CAT, LT, Rabbit Transit Drive
HACC Students's Transportation Means

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There increase is not huge, but it displays the importance of Industrial Road. When there
are local events, 28 students out of the hundred use Industrial Road on their way to HACC and
30 on the way home. With national events 13 more students use Industrial Road to get on
campus, which gives a total of 41 students. To leave campus, the total is 38 as eight more
students exit via Industrial Road. The reason why the increase is as such reflects in the fact that
not many students know Industrial Road, which is an observation made during the survey. A
couple good questions to ask which allow to see the importance of Industrial Road to students.
For example, who would want to be late for classes on such weeks? Who would not use a shorter
way and more secure way to come to HACC on those weeks? As shown, Industrial Road
remains a quick exit or entrance for those who use it as often as possible.
HACC Drive Number of
Students
Industrial Road Number of
Students
Weekswith
Local Events
Comingon
Campus
72 Comingon
Campus
28
LeavingCampus 70 LeavingCampus 30
Weeksof
National
Events
Comingon
Campus
59 Comingon
Campus
41
LeavingCampus 62 LeavingCampus 38
Table 1: Tendency of Students to Travel Different Ways Because of the National Events
III- Students’ Concern regarding Traffic Condition
The first question in the survey asked students whether they think the traffic congestion
should be solved or not. Out of the hundred students, 95 responded “yes” (Figure 4). As the

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survey covers 26 cities from which HACC students to come to attend classes on a regular basis,
the result reveals that something should be done about the traffic condition.
Figure 4: Student’s Concern about the Traffic Congestion
IV- Collaborationof the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center
Administration
Chief Hunter, serving the Security Department of Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and
Expo Center for 7 years, claimed that the Complex and Expo Center has acknowledged and
taken actions regarding the traffic issue, in the sense of collaboration with HACC. She also
stated that “national events had always created massive traffic in the Complex and Expo Center
area when I started working at here.” According to her, the administrative board plans events that
would take place at the Center a year ahead of time because of traffic expectancy. For example,
any of the events happening in this month of May 2016 has already been planned last year in
May 2015. By taking consideration of the previous year, they approximate amount of people
95%
5%
Yes
No

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who would attend events as the amount increases each year (Chief Hunter). The Complex and
Expo Center’s website informs that the national events start no earlier than 10:00 a.m., which
helps a little concerning HACC traffic as HACC Harrisburg classes normally start at 8:00 a.m.
The administration of the Center collaborates with HACC in a more strategic aspect. The
process of planning those events a year ahead consist of a series of traffic management meetings.
Focusing on decreasing as much traffic as possible, the meetings bring the Pennsylvania Farm
Show Complex and Expo Administrative and Security Department, HACC, PennDOT, State
Police, Capitol Police and Susquehanna Township representatives to a table of discussion. At
such a table, HACC would be informed about all events that would be happening every year. As
a result, HACC and PennDOT remain in close contact to figure out some strategies that could be
applied to improve traffic condition for the campus. Officer Bishop confirmed that HACC attend
the traffic management meetings several times with the Complex and Expo administrative board
every year. He also confirms about the connection HACC, precisely his department, has with
PennDOT.
V- HACC’s Institutional Efforts to Better Traffic
The situation with the traffic seems to be unchangeable despite all institutional efforts has
deployed. Officer Bishop affirmed that the traffic congestion created by events happening at the
Center has always affected HACC majorly. He stated some significant actions that HACC has
taken to address the problem. First, HACC has moved its Spring term opening date one week
back since 2012. Prior to 2012, HACC used to start with Spring classes on the same week as the
Farm Show would be take place at the Center. The impracticality of traffic forced HACC to
change the length of its typical Spring semester of 15 weeks to 14 weeks as the best solution
back then. Secondly, HACC has shared the campus parking lots with the Complex and Expo

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Center for the Farm Show event, one of the national events. HACC provides the Center with a
total amount of 3, 700 parking spaces, which leaves the Center with a capacity of 3, 700
additional available parking spots. Bishop stated that before HACC allowed the Center to use its
parking lot, traffic was much worse. Those 3, 700 parking spaces provided has prevented 3, 700
vehicles from driving around looking for parking in the area.
VI- HACC’s Recent Attempted Strategy of Evacuation
Through the connection existed between HACC and the Complex and Expo Center,
HACC and PennDOT have been working together on finding new strategies to deal with the
traffic problem. They found and attempted a new strategy to smooth traffic last February as the
other two national events, Great American Outdoor Show, and Motorama Races and Shows, take
place at the Center every February. Officer Bishop said that evacuating “using Industrial Road,
may have lengthened the travel distance for some students, but at least it shortened the travel
time they would spend in traffic.” The strategy consisted of making all traffic leaving campus
use Industrial Road. Left turns on Industrial from Alumni Drive were forbidden to prevent
student from getting caught in the congestion happening at the main entrance. To do that the
HACC Department of Security received permission from PennDOT to block only the lanes of
HACC Drive that would allow traffic to leave campus. PennDOT gave HACC certain days when
they could do that. So students were forced to follow the instructions given on those chosen days,
but the traffic evacuating campus was better than usual (Officer Bishop).
VII- Potentialityof Industrial Road to Be an Evacuation Route
The survey as well as the last strategy that HACC attempted, with permission from
PennDOT, display a useful picture of Industrial Road. Students travel on it when they want to
save time, depending on where they come from and how well they know about roads to which it

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gives access. Last February, HACC used it to help students evacuate campus because of a more
serious traffic congestion caused two major national events. Nevertheless, could Industrial Road
be an option for HACC to consider in terms of solution to the traffic jam that the campus has
been facing for over 15 years? To answer this question, the following lines elaborate about the
compatibility of Industrial Road with the existing system, and the adaptability and reliability that
it would entail.
1- CompatibilitywithExisting System
HACC has a guaranteed support of the PennDOT in terms of finding information about
certain road traffic patterns. For instance, PennDOT provided traffic patterns of the HACC
entrance area to HACC last February. It seems strongly possible for HACC to receive other
roads traffic patterns from PennDOT, as long as long they have direct connection with traffic
coming on or leaving campus. The Public Safety and Security Department would then need
assistance from other departments, for example, the Financial Aid and Student Affair Offices,
Student Life Office and the office accountable for publishing the HACC Student Publications.
From the Financial Aid and Student Affairs offices, accountable of holding students’ enrollment
information, Officer Bishop and his department would find key information about the cities
where students are from. The Student Life office, itself, would significantly help in sending e-
mails to every students in the HACC system. HACC Student Publications would play the role of
publishing any strategies found and ready to be launched, so that they would be accessible in
every corner of the campus.

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2- Adaptability and Reliability
The more adaptable a system is the more reliable it would become. If HACC chose the
option of the Industrial Road, especially as an official strategy, it would have to keep track on the
results the strategy would yield and what inconvenience students would be dealing with. This
could be done by creating a system that would take students’ concerns into consideration. For
example, they Public Security and Security Department could set up survey or poll stations on
campus where students would continuously share about their experience with the new strategy.
Then, if there needed to be any adjustments, the Public Security and Security Department would
know where the problem would be, so that immediate and accurate investigation can be done
about it.

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Conclusion
HACC Harrisburg campus shares its entrance with Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex
and Expo Center. Some neighboring industries use this same entrance as well. On a yearly basis,
The Complex and Expo organize many events that are both local and national. Unlike local
events, national events gather thousands of thousands of people from all over Pennsylvania at the
Center. On weeks of events throughout the months of January and February, national events
bring all together the intensive traffic of Complex and Expo Center, HACC traffic and tractor
trailers traveling back and forth between the industries at the shared entrance. This situation
creates major traffic congestion that has affected HACC Harrisburg campus for more than 15
years.
Students has been complaining about such a situation. One hundred of them took a
survey about the issue. The survey reveals not only students’ desire for improvement in the
traffic situation that the campus is facing, but also the cities from which HACC expects more
traffic or to which more of HACC traffic is directed and the importance of Industrial Road to
students. HACC and Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo, combining their efforts, tried
different strategies over the years, but the traffic improvement has never given a sense of
satisfaction. The combination of the Complex and Expo and HACC results in the association of
PennDOT and HACC in the purpose of eventually finding a solution to the congestion.
The survey and the interventions from PennDOT and HACC point out to the Industrial
Road as a potential key tool that could be applied to the problem. Students who know Industrial
Road well enough choose to travel it. The number of students who use it to exit or access HACC
Harrisburg campus increases during weeks of national events at the Complex and Expo Center.
Last February, HACC used Industrial Road to help students evacuate campus because the traffic

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intensity back them. Officer Bishop claimed that using Industrial allowed a quicker evacuation
than usual. The analysis of the compatibility of Industrial Road with the existing system as well
as the adaptability and reliability it would imply prove that it is feasible for HACC to use
Industrial Road as an official evacuation route on weeks of national events. The effectiveness
and durability of this strategy will depend on the application of its adaptability and reliability.

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Recommendations
Considering the HACC campus location, the Industrial Road is proven to be the ultimate
evacuation route to improve the traffic situation that HACC has been facing for over 15 years.
Recommendations to HACC:
1- HACC should contact PennDOT about their new evacuation plan at least a year ahead
of time.
2- The Financial Aid, Student Affairs Office and the office accountable for publishing the
HACC Student publications should be committed to provide the services that the Public
Safety and Security department would need to establish the plan.
3- The Public Safety and Security department should deeply investigate the adaptability
and the reliability of the plan before launching it as these two aspects determine the
future of the plan.

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Glossary
1- Alumni Drive: Principal road that guides drivers around HACC Harrisburg campus
2- Capitol Police: Formally called, United States Capitol Police (USCP) is a premier Federal
Law Enforcement Agency. They protect the Congress, its legislative processes, members,
employees, visitors, and facilities from crime, disruption, or terrorism. They protect and secure
Congress so it can fulfill its constitutional responsibilities in a safe and open environment.
3- CAT: Capital Area Transit
4- Complex and Expo Center (also Center): Contractions, for Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex
and Expo Center, used to avoid redundancy.
5- Farm Show: The largest indoor agricultural exposition throughout Pennsylvania, with nearly
6,000 animals, 10,000 competitive exhibits and 300 commercial exhibits.
6- Great American Outdoor Show: Show that is a nine-day event celebrating hunting, fishing and
outdoor traditions that are treasured by millions of Americans and their families.
7- LT: Lebanon Transit.
8- Motorama Races and Shows: Motorama is about racing – all of the 8800 seats in the main
arena of the Complex and Expo Center are during the shows.
9- PennDOT: Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
10- Rabbit Transit: York County’s public transportation system that serves central and south
central Pennsylvania
11- Susquehanna Township: One of the township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

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References
Survey
Five-survey question, taken by 100 hundred random students at three different places on campus
Interviews
Bishop, David. Personal Interview. 4 April 2016.
Hunter, Shiree. Personal Interview. 4 April 2016.
Websites
Capital Area Transit. Capital Area Transit, 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
Eshelman, Nancy. “Traffic Is Everywhere. Get back to the Music, Please." Photograph.
PennLive. PA Media Group, 16 Oct. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College. HACC, 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
Lebanon Transit. Lebanon Transit, 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture,
2016. Web. 10 April 2016.
Rabbit Express. Rabbit Transit, 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2016.
“US Capitol Police – Who We Are.” US Capitol Police – Who We are, n. p., n. d. Web. 18 April
2016.