Florida DOT District IV 2005 budget supports a variety of SMART SunGuide transportation management center programs.

Florida District IV 2005 Operating Budget

Made Public Date
04/06/2006
Identifier
2006-SC00097
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Summary Information

For the past two years, Florida Department of Transportation (DOT) District IV developed an annual report for the SMART SunGuide Transportation Management Center (TMC) to review the performance of ITS operations and calculate the benefit-cost ratio (or return-on-investment). For the 2005 report, a major focus was on documenting the influence the ITS program had on the public and quantifying improvements achieved during 2005. Significant achievements during 2005 included:

  • Development and integration of the SMART (Systems Management for Advanced Roadway Technologies) incident management software
  • Development and operation of the SMART SunGuide website
  • Expansion of the TMC to a 24 hour, 7 day a week operation Integration of the Statewide SunGuide software
  • Deployment of ITS equipment (i.e., CCTV cameras and detection systems)

FDOT costs associated with the District IV SunGuide TMC are presented in the table below as are the 2005 annualized cost used in the benefit-cost calculation. A 20-year life is assumed for the TMC and a 10-year life for ITS equipment. A six percent interest rate was used in calculating the annualized cost. The 2005 annualized cost equals $8,239,397. A benefit costs analysis was conducted by the Lehman Center for Transportation Research at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. The total 2005 benefit of the SMART SunGuide TMC equals $86,002,364. The 2005 benefit-cost ratio equals 10.44.
 

Deployment
Estimated Capital Cost
Estimated Current Operations Costs
Estimated
Maintenance
Cost
Annualized Cost ($/year)
SMART SunGuide TMC
$6,700,000
$1,670,200
$293,889
$2,548,329
Road Ranger
$2,500,000
$2,500,000
Severe Incident Response Vehicle
$309,503
$309,503
Dynamic Message Signs
$11,000,000
$18,600
$750,000
$2,263,500
Traffic Incident Management (TIM)
$400,000
$400,000
CCTV and Detection System (Phase I)
$2,845,462
$167,000
$43,065
CCTV and Detection System (Phase II)
$15,520,168
ATIS System (511)
$175,000
$175,000
TOTAL
$36,065,630
$5,073,303
$1,210,889
$8,239,397

 


The SMART SunGuide TMC became operational in September 2004. The TMC houses several partners that are involved in the management and control of the surface transportation system in Broward County. Along with FDOT District IV, the Broward County Traffic Engineering Division (BCTED), Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), and Broward County Transit share the facility. The TMC is approximately 42,000 square feet and was built at a cost of $11 million (which includes $2 million for ITS networks, equipment, and computer systems). The FDOT District IV cost share for the physical building was $6.7 million. Operating costs for 2005 are estimated at $1,670,200 and include operations consultancy and software development. Annual maintenance costs are for utilities (e.g., power, water) and are estimated at $293,889. The operations and maintenance costs reflect FDOT’s share.

Road Ranger is the highway service patrol in Broward County. The $2.5 million annual cost of the Road Ranger program includes contracted services and vehicle leases. The program utilizes 11 vehicles covering 84 centerline miles on I-95, I-595, and I-75. Road Rangers provide 24-hour service as follows:

 

 

  • 11 vehicles patrol each weekday 6:00 am - 7:00 pm
  • 6 vehicles patrol each week night 7:00 pm – 6:00 am
  • 6 vehicles patrol each weekend day and night shift

Severe Incident Response Vehicle (SIRV) is a pilot program providing a 24 hour incident command station and support to FDOT and Road Rangers during major incidents such a tractor trailer rollovers, HazMat and fatalities. The $309,503 operations cost includes contracted services and one leased vehicle.

The $11 million capital cost for the dynamic message signs (DMS) includes 31 signs to include associated structures, foundation, controllers, cabinets, and installation, plus approximately 50 miles of in-ground fiber optics communications. The estimated $18,600 in operating costs covers electricity. The estimated maintenance cost of $750,000 includes spare parts, and labor for trouble-shooting problems and conducting preventative maintenance. DMS maintenance is contracted out. FDOT notes that employing an ITS maintenance contractor “…helps to avoid/minimize system downtime, reduces total cost of operation, improves effectiveness, and extends the life of ITS assets.”

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) services are contracted out at approximately $400,000 for 2005. Services include hosting and coordinating meetings with the broader multi-agency TIM team, developing manuals and memorandums of understanding (MOU) with other incident management partners.

During Phase I, 45 closed circuit TV (CCTV) cameras and 106 detectors (side-fire radar at 67 sites) were programmed for deployment. The cost to deploy the
equipment including installation and associated structures, foundation, cabinets, and controllers was $2,845,462. The CCTV cameras and detectors make use of the fiber optics communications mentioned under the DMS deployment. Maintenance cost for 2005 are estimated at $167,000 (for the Phase I devices, this does not include the DMS/fiber optics deployment). Maintenance is contracted out and includes trouble-shooting and preventive maintenance.

For Phase II, which will begin in 2006, approximately 55 CCTV cameras and 224 detectors are programmed for deployment. The costs are estimated at $15,520,168. Costs include equipment and associated structures, foundations, cabinets, controllers, and installation, as well as approximately 55 miles of in-ground fiber optics communications. Operations and maintenance costs are unknown at this time; this service will be advertised in the spring of 2007.

The $175,000 for Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) reflects FDOT District IV’s estimated cost for Southeast Florida 511 System staffing.

Notes:
2004 Annual Report SMART SunGuide TMC available at http://www.smartsunguide.com/PDF/SMART%20TMC%20Annual%20Report.pdf