Anonymous probe vehicle data has become an important data source to evaluate the performance of highways and arterials roadway systems. By using predefined spatially located segments, Traffic Message Channels (TMCs) and XD Segments, temporal probe vehicle speed data that includes timestamp and an average speed can be collected and analyzed for each segment. This data has been used to development agency wide performance measure reports to better plan and manage infrastructure assets. Generally these reports analyzed the individual links on the system that are subsequently aggregated to pinpoint areas requiring improvement. As a greater number of passengers and vehicles incorporate telematics from cell phones, onboard computers, and GPS, more levels of the transportation system including highways, arterials, bridges, and local roads can be characterized. This is especially important when analyzing the impact of a natural or manmade disaster where a number of different roadway types can be affected.

This goal of this research is to determine the feasibility using commercially available probe vehicle data to assess the impact of a major weather event on the roadways surrounding, and including, major coastal evacuation routes. An analysis of the historic probe vehicle data during Hurricane Sandy will be used to evaluate the coastal evacuation routes in New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy is the second costliest hurricane in the United States with an estimated cost of $68 Billion dollars in damage and 162 deaths. Select TMC and XD segments within 10-miles of the New Jersey coast, which includes at least 250 Million 1-minute speed records covering nine counties will be analyzed.