Software development was the key cost driver for the bus arrival and departure information system deployed as part of the Seattle Metropolitan Model Deployment Initiative.

From the Seattle MMDI Evaluation Report: Section 3.2.5 King County ""Transit Watch"" Evaluation

Made Public Date
11/07/2003
Identifier
2003-SC00025
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Summary Information

Transit riders at Bellevue and Northgate Transit Centers in King County, Washington were provided with bus arrival/departure times, bay number, and expected actual departure times for all bus routes using each of the transfer centers. The Transit Watch system obtained actual departure times from an Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) system, and then presented the information on video monitors at each center.

The cost of the system was approximately $723,000 and annual O&M was approximately $180,000. The most significant costs were the development and labor costs. Approximately 12% of the capital cost and 25% of the O&M cost were shared with other Seattle Smart Trek Model Deployment Initiative (MMDI) projects.

The following data was presented in the report.

 
 
Equipment Description
Capital
O&M
King County - Hardware (2 PCs, 5 monitors, modems, routers)
$39,500
 
King County - Facilities Improvements
$6,400
 
King County - Boeing Transit Watch
$20,000
 
King County - Engineering & Management Support
$3,300
 
King County - Software Development Support
$5,000
 
King County - Design Consultant
$43,000
 
King County - Other Labor
$28,000
 
University of Washington - Total Equipment Purchases (Proposed Budget)
$25,000
 
University of Washington - Total Supplies & Materials (Proposed Budget)
$19,900
 
University of Washington - Development Labor
$447,475
 
King County - Maintenance
 
$4,100
Operations Labor (1 University of Washington FTE)
 
$131,250
14% of ITS Backbone - Share of 3 Pentium Workstations & Associated Equip.
$3,393
 
14% of ITS Backbone - Share of Labor (including indirect costs and benefits)
$78,324
 
14% of ITS Backbone - Share of Other Direct Costs
$3,585
 
14% of ITS Backbone - Share of Hardware & Supplies (replaced every 2 years)
 
$1,696
14% of ITS Backbone - Share of Fiber Link & Other Contractual Services
 
$2,428
14% of ITS Backbone - Share of Operations Labor (3 University of Wash. FTEs)
 
$40,178
TOTAL
$722,877
$179,652


The cost estimate included 14% of the ITS Information backbone costs since the system was designed to interface or exchange information with the ITS Backbone.

System Cost

Capital cost: $722,877 (1998). Annual O&M cost: $179,652 (1998).