Quality and Productivity Commission 22 ND Annual Productivity and Quality Awards Program The Power of Productivity

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1 Quality and Productivity Commission 22 ND Annual Productivity and Quality Awards Program Date of Implementation/Adoption: March 2006 Project Status: Ongoing One-time only Did you submit this project before? Yes No Executive Summary: Describe the project in 15 lines or less using 12 point font. Summarize the problem, solution, and benefits of the project in a clear and direct manner Los Angeles is infamous for its smog, sigalerts, and traffic jams. Traffic is a problem for everyone here, but Public Works is striving to improve traffic countywide with a wireless communication system. This system provides traffic signal improvements to commuters through more than 30 agencies. Before we set up our wireless communication system, almost all traffic signals were operating independently. Our challenge was to provide traffic signal communications over a wide area for these agencies and their commuters, and feed that information to the County s Alhambra Traffic Management Center (TMC). After eliminating fiber optic and leased telephone line solutions because of their high costs, we adopted a wireless communication standard. As a result, traffic signals are monitored using ethernet radios and broadband wireless technology at nearly 1000 intersections countywide. This allows both County and city staff to react in real time to traffic problems and adjust the signal timing to relieve congestion. At the same time, this solution reduces both the set up and operating costs for signal communication to reduce traffic problems for many commuters. (1) ANNUAL COST AVOIDANCE (2) ANNUAL COST SAVINGS (3) ANNUAL REVENUE SUBMITTING DEPARTMENT NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS (INCLUDE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBER) Department of Public Works 900 South Fremont Avenue Ahambra, CA (1) + (2) + (3) TOTAL BENEFIT SERVICE ENHANCEMENT PROJECT PROGRAM MANAGER S NAME Jane White TELEPHONE NUMBER (626) PRODUCTIVITY MANAGER S NAME AND SIGNATURE Ghayane Zakarian DEPARTMENT HEAD S NAME AND SIGNATURE Acting Director Dean D. Efstathiou DATE SIGNED 07/15/2008 DATE SIGNED 07/16/2008 TELEPHONE NUMBER (626) TELEPHONE NUMBER (626) PAGE 1

2 FOR JOINT SUBMISSIONS ONLY (for single department submissions, do not include this page) DEPARTMENT NO. 2 NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS DEPARTMENT NO. 3 NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS DEPARTMENT NO. 4 NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS DEPARTMENT NO. 5 NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS DEPARTMENT NO. 6 NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS PAGE 2

3 Fact Sheet limited to 3 pages only: Describe the Problem, Solution, and Benefits of the project, written in plain language. Include a discussion of the technology, links to the County Strategic Plan. The description should identify Performance Measures. Problem: Since 1988, the Public Works has been the leader in a multijurisdictional traffic coordination effort. In 1995, with substantial funding by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO), Public Works set up the Regional Traffic Signal Forum Program. Under the Program, Public Works facilitates Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) projects in three major geographic areas. Each area has about 20 cities. The ultimate goal of the program is involve all participants in the planning and coordination of traffic signal timing on major throughfares across their multiple jurisdictions. One component of the ITS projects is an Advanced Traffic Management System. An Advanced Traffic Management System provides second-by-second monitoring of traffic signals. The system enables the detection of traffic signal equipment malfunctions, which allows very rapid response to traffic signal problems. It can also monitor traffic conditions and collect traffic data from loop sensors that are built into roadways, and video detectors. This requires two-way communication between the traffic signal controllers and our central location. Under the program, thirty agencies have elected to have Public Works operate, control and monitor their traffic signals. Public Works also has a clear need to use an Advanced Traffic Management System at traffic signals that Public Works maintains. Currently, the Public Works maintains over 1500 traffic signals in addition to maintenance responsibilities for 20 cities. Previously, there was no established communication network for Public Works or individual city s traffic signals. All signals operated independently. Therefore, the biggest challenge for the program was how to provide communications over a wide geographic area between the traffic signals for these 30 agencies, Public Works traffic signals, and the Traffic Management Center in Alhambra. Problems multiplied with ever increasing construction costs and Metro grant funding deadlines. The project needed to be well managed, comprehensive, timely, and cost effective PAGE 3

4 Solution: Initially project construction recommendations were for a hardwire communication method such as fiber optic cable. This method would have taken two to three years to complete and the $11 million of available funding would have only provided communication for 250 traffic signals. That wasn t good enough. Another solution required installation of a leased telephone line to every traffic signal location. This alternative needed to construct telephone lines from the telephone company s chosen location to each traffic signal cabinet. AT&T estimated roughly $5 million for the cost to connect to 300 signals in South Bay area It would take over two years This choice would also have resulted in ongoing telecommunication leased line costs. We needed a better, faster, and cheaper solution. We ve come a long way. Our cutting-edge, cost-effective solution is a Wireless Communication System, which transmits data between traffic signal controllers and the County Traffic Management Center using ethernet radios and broadband wireless technology. Groups of intersections with wireless radios are combined into one leased T1 (1.5+ megabytes per second) communication line. The initial area chosen for deployment involved 51 intersections in the South Bay near the Cities of El Segundo, Hawthorne and Manhattan Beach. The distance between the Public Works s TMC facility and this area is approximately 20 miles. The initial cost of providing wireless communications to these 51 traffic signals was $465,000 and installation took about six months. This was much more economical than the other two alternatives which had been investigated. As a result of this tremendous success, Public Works initiated a larger contract to continue the roll out of wireless communications to another 950 signals countywide. Benefits: According to a study conducted in 2008 on behalf of the American Automobile Association, traffic congestion costs the Los Angeles/Orange county region $9.3 billion annually, and traffic accidents costs $10.85 billion. Progress is our most important product. While our wireless traffic communications system will not eliminate traffic congestion, it will improve traffic signal synchronization, and hasten signal repairs, which will improve traffic flow and commuter safety. This project is a critical part of what is rapidly becoming a network of integrated ITS systems in Los Angeles County. County employee productivity is a horrible asset to waste. Since the initiation of the contract, the vendor has worked to train Public Works staff on the installation and operation of the communication system. When the supplemental contract with the vendor was initiated, it was decided to move forward by having Public Works staff install PAGE 4

5 Benefits (Continued): radios. The vendor was very willing to work with Public Works staff in this manner despite the fact that this decreased their total contract amount, by over $3 million dollars. To date, Public Works staff is able to complete these installations at a lower cost than that proposed in the contract. This clearly demonstrates a tremendously successful collaboration between private sector and public sector working together at all levels of installation and programming. Besides the cost savings from Public Works staff completing the radio installations, the wireless communications system project also resulted in tremendous cost savings because fewer leased telephone lines were needed. The original contract requirement was to have one leased telephone line for every eight traffic signals. However, the vendor found only 6 leased lines are needed for all 1000 signals scheduled for deployment. Since we were already using leased telephone service in our buildings, there was no additional cost for this service. To reach out and touch more intersections, the County s wireless communication system contract connects to nearly twice as many signals as it would with leased telephone lines (500), and five times as many signals when compared to fiber optic communications, about 200. Since installation is now continuing at the rate of three signals per day, we expect to be fully deployed in less than one year, about a third of the time it would have taken with leased telephone lines or fiber optic installation. With this communications connection, we are able to continuously monitor the operation of key thoroughfares from our TMC. This allows us to react in real time to traffic malfunctions, monitor congestion, and adjust the signal timing to relieve congestion at the most efficient and timely manner. PAGE 5

6 Cost Avoidance, Cost Savings, and Revenue Generated (Estimated Benefit): Use this form and provide details on the estimated/actual benefits. As a suggestion, work with your fiscal staff. Cost Avoidance: Anticipated costs that are eliminated or not incurred as a result of program outcomes. Cost Savings: A reduction or lessening of expenditures as a result of program outcomes. Revenue: Increases in existing revenue streams or new revenue sources to the County as a result of program outcomes. (1) ANNUAL COST AVOIDANCE (2) ANNUAL COST SAVINGS (3) ANNUAL REVENUE (1) + (2) + (3) TOTAL ESTIMATED BENEFIT This estimate does not include 11 million in grant funding or the value of commuter time saved. According to the American Automobile Association, traffic congestion costs the Los Angeles/Orange county region $9.3 billion annually, and traffic accidents costs $10.85 billion. Please also note the number of networked signals for this project would have been half or less without wireless technology Total Estimated Benefit: = ($17.4 million - $10.4 million = $7 million) Fiber Optic Cable Leased Line Wireless Comm. Installation $47.3 million $16.7 million $10.4 million Avoidance Annual Avoidance $0 $708,000 $0 Total Cost $47.3 million $17.4 million $10.4 million Construction cost avoidance for Wireless Communication over fiber optic cable installation are $36.9 million and $7.0 million over Leased Telephone Lines. Continuing cost avoidance is $708,000 annually (1) Annual Cost Avoidance: The cost of installation between other alternatives and the wireless communication for 1000 intersections are: (a) Fiber Optic Cable: Installation cost = $0.5 million per mile. Assume 1000 signals spaced at 500 feet apart = 500,000 ft 94.7 miles Cost of installing Fiber Optic Cable = (94.7miles)($0.5 million) = $47.3 million (b) Leased Line: Installation cost= $5 million per 300 signals (based on estimated from AT&T) Number of traffic signals = 1000 Cost of installing Lease Line = [(1000)($5 million)]/(300) = $16.7 million (c) Wireless Communication: First 51 signals = $465,000 Additional 950 signals = $9.9 million Total Cost of installing Wireless Communication = $10.4 million (2) Annual Cost Savings: In comparison with the leased line alternative, the wireless communication solution saves the County $708, annually from the monthly cost of leased lines. PAGE 6