Question

Please give me an approximation of how long it would take to evacuate a population of 91,000 to a destination 21 miles away, using only a one way street with a speed limit of 60mph. Please show steps on how you came up with your answer. Thanks

Answer 1

The time will depend on the number of people who move on each trip from the point of origin to the destination. If done at the maximum speed allowed using 100 vehicles of 50 seats each, the evacuation would be done in 63.68 hours

Explanation:

Population = 91,000 ppl

Speed limit = 60 mph

Distance = 21 miles.

1. Assuming that people is evacuated at the max. speed allowed, it means that each trip will take:

T = D/V

D= 21 miles

V = 60 mph:

So;

T = 21 miles / 60mph

T= 0,35 h

2. Asumming that we are going to use an amount of 100 vehicles with 50-seats in each trip for evacuating people, it means that we could evacuate

500 people every 0,35 h ≈ 1,429 ppl/hour (evacuation rate)

To know how long it would take us to evacuate 91,000 people under these conditions, we would have to divide the total amount by the previously calculated evacuation rate

T= 91,000/ 1,429 = 63,68 hours