Researchers identify that DSRC field infrastructure deployment costs can range from $13,000 to $21,000 per site, with average cost estimated at $17,600

Researchers identify costs for connected vehicle field infrastructure deployment and related costs in the United States

Made Public Date
10/22/2014
Identifier
2014-SC00325
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Summary Information

The USDOT in partnership with Transport Canada, AASHTO and in cooperation with other nationwide stakeholders, conducted analyses leading to a preliminary general concept of a national Connected Vehicle (CV) field infrastructure footprint. The footprint includes a general description for a proposed national deployment of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) technology including, applications, communications and deployment locations. The purpose of the National CV Field Infrastructure Footprint Analysis is to provide a vision for a fully deployed infrastructure footprint, to identify the activities and project timelines needed to achieve that footprint, and to estimate costs associated with the deployment.

There have been only limited deployments of connected vehicle infrastructure to date. As a result, there are very few data points for deployment costs. This analysis incorporates cost data from four connected vehicle deployment sites including locations in Michigan, Virginia, Arizona, and the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center.

Fifty (50) sites were deployed in Novi for the USDOT Southeast Michigan Connected Vehicle Test Bed, which used early versions of DSRC equipment. The USDOT Southeast Michigan Connected Vehicle Test Bed is currently going through a technology refresh for the roadside equipment, and the unit cost per device is significantly lower today than during the initial deployment. Over the past 24 months, DSRC hardware costs have stabilized, but costs may continue to come down as the market grows to support manufacturing devices at a greater rate and as the technology and specifications stabilize.

The Northern Virginia Test Bed has deployed fifty-five (55) DSRC RSUs to cover approximately four square miles of an urban region that includes a mix of commercial and residential land uses, schools, pedestrian trails, fire stations, and covers I-66, US-29 (Lee Highway), US-50 (Arlington Blvd), Gallows Road and I-495.

The cost information for Arizona was generated from a deployment plan developed for a region-wide installation in Maricopa County, Arizona. This data was included in a cost-benefit analysis conducted by Arizona State University to estimate the incremental infrastructure costs and requirements for a region-wide network of connected vehicle technology, based on the existing deployment of six (6) RSUs at equipped intersections. The Maricopa County deployment would cover a much larger region, encompassing both county-managed roadways as well as right-of-way from more than twenty (20) different municipalities, townships, and cities within the County, which is one of the most populous regions in the nation.

The Intelligent Intersection at TFHRC in McLean, Virginia, is currently being equipped with new infrastructure to support the deployment of DSRC equipment. The cost data available from this deployment was collected and maintained specifically for use in future deployments and is more detailed than what was available from the other sites. The reported cost for labor and installation is significantly higher ($25,365) than the other deployment sites because the Intelligent Intersection deployment was designed to be more flexible and robust than other research deployments, to be used for testing and future expansion. Because the scale of this deployment exceeds the amount of equipment and network connectivity than is necessary to support general operations and applications, only $2,500 of the total installation cost is considered in this analysis.

Table 1 and Table 2 provide information about the deployment size and relevant cost elements, including both hardware and installation labor.

Table 1 -Average Equipment Costs per DSRC Site (Source: USDOT/AASHTO 2014)

Deployment Site
Michigan
Arizona
Virginia
TFHRC
Average
Number of Sites
50
2680
55
1
-
DSRC RSU
$3,750
$1,000
$3,500
$3,500
$3,000
RSU Incidentals
$1000
$1,000
No data
$1,100
$1,030
Communication Connection Equipment
$1,300
$1,300
$1,300
$600
$1,125
Power Connection Equipment
$300
$300
$300
$400
$325
Additional Installation Equipment
$3,500
$600
$3,300
$600
$2,000
Total Cost for Hardware
$9,850
$4,200
$8,400
$6,100
$7,450


Table 2 -Average Installation Costs per DSRC Site (Source: USDOT/AASHTO 2014)

Deployment Site
Michigan
Arizona
Virginia
TFHRC
Average
Total Cost for Installation Labor
$2,500
$2,400
$2,500
$2,500
$2,475
Construction Inspection (15% of Hardware Cost)
$1,500
$600
$1,200
$1,000
$1,075
Total Installation Cost
$4,000
$3,000
$3,700
$3,500
$3,550


Other estimated costs specifically associated with the deployment of DSRC RSUs include all necessary activities associated with planning, design, and installation. The hardware and installation costs assume that the RSU deployment takes place at a location that is already equipped with power supplies and a pole or other suitable mounting location. Other costs, including planning, design, construction inspection and others are based on estimates for the design and implementation of a typical ITS deployment. Table 3 describes additional cost elements associated with RSU deployment.

Table 3 -Planning and Design Costs per DSRC Site (Source: USDOT/AASHTO 2014)

Deployment Site
Michigan
Arizona
Virginia
TFHRC
Average
Radio Survey per site
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Map / GID Generation
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Planning
$700
$400
$600
$500
$550
Design
$2,100
$1,100
$1,800
$1,400
$1,600
System Integration & License
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
Traffic Control
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
$1,000
Total Implementation Cost
$7,300
$6,000
$6,900
$6,400
$6,650


The additional cost elements described in Table 3 are:

  • Radio Survey –$1,000/site –The radio survey is the cost of identifying radio interference and determining the optimal location for the DSRC radio (or multiple radios) and antenna at a specific location to maximize coverage
  • Map/GID generation –$1000/site –This effort includes the cost for highly accurate mapping of the intersection. This can be done either through as-built plans, accurate satellite (or other overhead) images or a survey crew
  • Planning –5% of implementation (hardware and installation labor) cost –This effort includes the costs of developing a general regional plan for deploying a connected vehicle environment throughout an entire region. This includes the analysis of where to deploy DSRC radios in a region based on traffic and safety analysis
  • Design –20% of implementation cost –Design includes all of the design costs associated with deploying the DSRC infrastructure at a specific location
  • Construction inspection –15% of implementation cost. –Construction Inspection includes the cost of overseeing construction, reviewing contractor submittals for radios and other hardware to be deployed. This cost also includes testing at the site to ensure full functionality
  • System Integration and License -$1500/site –This effort includes the costs associated with licenses for the radios (cost to do paperwork as there is not anticipated to be a license cost), the cost to set the radios up within the overall system (IP addresses, etc.) and the costs to add a site to a central system (this does not include the cost to implement the overall central system, just to update the database)
  • Traffic Control -$1000/site –The cost for basic traffic control during deployment of a DSRC radio unit. This could include signage specific to a region for advance warning of road construction or the traffic control necessary in the event the traffic signal needs to be turned off during installation of the DSRC radio equipment


Table 4 summarizes the total costs listed in previous tables for DSRC hardware, installation labor, and site design and planning efforts that are necessary for an operational deployment. Ranging from
$13,000 to $21,000, the average cost per site for deployment of all connected vehicle infrastructure is estimated to be $17,600.

Table 4 -Average Total Direct Costs per DSRC Site (Source: USDOT/AASHTO 2014)

Deployment Site
Michigan
Arizona
Virginia
TFHRC
Average
Connected Vehicle DSRC Hardware
$9,850
$4,200
$8,400
$6,100
$7,450
Installation Labor
$4,000
$3,000
$3,800
$3,400
$3,550
Design and Planning
$7,300
$5,900
$6,900
$6,400
$6,600
Total Direct Connected Vehicle Costs
$21,150
$13,100
$19,100
$15,900
$17,600


This report, dated June 2014, includes many more details of connected vehicle system costs. These findings along with the costs provide a valuable resource to those considering the implementation of connected vehicle infrastructure.

System Cost

Average Equipment Costs per DSRC Site $7,450, Average Installation Costs per DSRC Site $3,550, Average Planning and Design Costs per DSRC Site $6,650, Average Total Direct Costs per DSRC Site $17,600

System Cost Subsystem