Hundreds of Mill Valley residents participated in a community wide simulated emergency evacuation Saturday morning with assistance from Google.
The simulation was designed to determine how long it would take for vehicles to evacuate along East Blithedale Ave., one of only two major roads leading out of Mill Valley.
Around 170 volunteers drove back to back from downtown Mill Valley to Bayfront Park, a level section of the city far from the hillsides full of homes, trees and vegetation. "We knew that the area of the flats was going to be where the traffic problems were. We’re trying to figure out a way to get the cars through the flats as quickly as possible," said Mill Valley Mayor John McCauley.
To ensure that the city is well prepared in the event of an emergency, officials teamed up with researchers at Google who have created an evacuation software system. Zonehaven uses an algorithm to pinpoint every home in the community and estimate the number of vehicles at each property. The data predicts what neighborhood streets will make for good evacuation routes and estimates how long it would take for the areas to be cleared of traffic.
Citizens can also access Zonehaven to learn what their evacuation zone is, sign up for real time alerts and follow ongoing emergencies.
Residents told KCBS Radio that the simulation was well organized and helped them to feel ready for something they may experience in the future.
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