SR-506-003-06 (16)
F:\PCD\Share\2003CouncilStaffReports\icons.doc Santa Monica, California
Council Meeting: September 9, 2003
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Contract with Econolite Control Products, Inc. for Purchase and Downtown
Deployment of an Advanced Traffic Management System and Resolution
Waiving Competitive Bidding
INTRODUCTION
This staff report recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution and
authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with Econolite Control
Products, Inc. (Econolite) in the amount of $260,000 for the purchase of a central traffic
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signal system ( ATMS) and upgrade hardware for the downtown area traffic
signals (48 intersections, area bounded by Wilshire Boulevard, Ocean Avenue, Pico
Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard) and $26,000 (10%) for contingencies.
BACKGROUND
The City does not currently have a central traffic management system, known as an
Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS). The traffic signals in the City are
coordinated by time, but the clock in each controller operates independently, so it is
challenging to maintain synchronization. The signal timing for each traffic signal is set
manually at each location. The icons ATMS will provide traffic control from a traffic
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management center (TMC) with the capabilities of communicating with Intelligent
Transportation System (ITS) field elements such as monitors, dynamic message signs,
trailblazer signs, and detection systems, on one integrated system.
DISCUSSION
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The ATMS is the best-fit central control system available today for the Econolite
traffic signal controllers that the City uses. Competing systems are not configured for
our Econolite controllers and would require creation of new, untried and untested
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databases and communication protocols. The ATMS is a proven, tried and tested
system currently in daily use in a number of major cities including Salt Lake City, Utah,
where it was deployed successfully prior to the winter Olympics and all Cities in the
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State of Arizona. The ATMS is written specifically for the Econolite controller
using the relatively new National Transportation Communication Information Protocol.
Not all traffic management systems use this protocol, which was developed to increase
compatibility of various signal control hardware and software elements. Because icons
ATMS already uses this protocol it will be compatible with new signal equipment and will
require no major software upgrades in the future.
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The ATMS includes the following features that will help improve downtown, and in
the future citywide, traffic flow and coordination:
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Uses Windows platform and does not require proprietary computers or hardware;
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Provides system integration of all the ITS field elements;
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Offers second by second real time control and monitoring of the complete traffic
system;
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Monitors and makes timing plan changes based on traffic volumes and other
parameters set by the Transportation Engineer;
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Provides increased safety as signal problems will be reported and recorded by
the system;
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Offers multilevel paging capabilities to allow technicians to respond to trouble
calls or signal flash situations;
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Traffic signal timing changes and control can be done from the central TMC not
manually in the field at each intersection;
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Will store and archive continuous traffic signal information and volumes, which
will allow consistent daily traffic patterns to be identified and signal timing
optimized.
The Transportation Engineer will be able to use information gathered from the
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downtown area through the ATMS to monitor traffic and signal operations and to
optimize traffic signal timing plans for the wide variety of traffic patterns that occur on
weekends and holidays without having City staff on hand to monitor the traffic. In the
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future, the ATMS will be expanded to include a majority of the 150+ traffic signals
in the City to improve traffic operations citywide.
This investment in will give the City more flexibility to purchase different controllers in
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the future, as the ATMS is also compatible with the type of controller used by the
City of Los Angeles to offer transit priority for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(MTA) Rapid Bus System. It will also allow City the capability to offer transit priority for
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both MTA Rapid Bus and Big Blue Bus systems on some of the City?s major corridors
as appropriate.
In 1980, the Council adopted a resolution (Resolution No. 5503 (CCS)) to waive bid
procedures and authorize direct negotiations for the purchase of traffic signal
equipment. A single vendor for traffic control equipment is preferable because of the
need for system integration and compatibility and difficulty in maintaining an adequate
inventory of replacement parts from different vendors. Since the initial commitment
was made to Econolite products, the City has invested heavily in the system. The
commitment was reconsidered and reaffirmed in 1989/90 when the City invested in a
fully computerized traffic control system. It continues to be appropriate, because the
Econolite is the only product that satisfies national system standards, is currently
operating effectively in the field and is configured to provide for central operation of the
City?s existing signal controllers, which are the most expensive elements of the signal
control system. The City?s experience with Econolite has been positive--Econolite
equipment has met or exceeded the City?s traffic control needs and is expected to
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continue to do so with the installation of the ATMS. A new resolution affirming
these facts and waiving competitive bidding is attached.
BUDGET/FINANCIAL IMPACT
Sufficient funds are currently budgeted in account C01040701.589000. The initial
purchase will include the computer and network hardware and software licensing to
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support the downtown signals in the short term and allow the City to expand the
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ATMS citywide over time. This purchase includes the required signal upgrades
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necessary for the ATMS to be operational on the 48 signalized intersections
within the downtown area. The cost of the future expansion will be approximately
$1,100 per intersection. The initial purchase comes with a one-year warranty that
includes the initial system setup, training, hardware and software support. After the
one-year warranty period is over, a yearly maintenance contract will be made with
Econolite for system support, software upgrades and updates. The maintenance
contract is estimated to cost approximately $8,000 per year and will be included in the
transportation management/traffic operations operating budget.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council adopt the attached resolution waiving
competitive bidding and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract
with Econolite Control Products, Inc. in the amount of $286,000 for the purchase of the
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ATMS for the 48 intersections located in the downtown area, including
contingency.
Attachment: Resolution (See Adopted Resolution No. 9885 (CCS).
Prepared By: Suzanne Frick, Director of Planning and Community Development
Lucy Dyke, Transportation Planning Manager
Gerald Tom, Transportation Engineer
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