COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          6e 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting       June 11, 2019 
DATE:     June 3, 2019 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Dave Crowner, Manager, Aviation Safety Management Systems 
Krista Sadler, Director ICT Technology Delivery 
Wayne Grotheer, Director Aviation Project Management Group 
SUBJECT:  Surface Area Management Project (CIP #C800650) 
Amount of this request:               $4,782,000 
Total estimated project cost:          $6,600,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to (1) proceed with the airfield
Surface Area Management System project at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; (2) execute
a contract for required hardware, software, vendor services, and maintenance for the Surface
Area Management System; (3) proceed with design for sensor and camera installation, (4) use
Port staff for implementation; and (5) execute a contract for up to ten years for license, service,
and maintenance fees estimated at $12,000,000, which will be paid for out of annual expense
funds.  The  amount  requested  for  project  implementation  under  this  authorization  is
$4,782,000 out of a total estimated project cost of $6,600,000. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 
This project will procure and implement a surface area management (SAM) system to improve
airfield  situational  awareness  and  provide  forensic  and  analytic  information  on  airfield 
operations at Sea-Tac airport. This valuable information will improve aircraft flow and gate
docking efficiencies, reduce aircraft holds, and support safety initiatives by providing more
detailed information on incident causes and contributing factors. Integrating with several Port
and external data feeds, the system will provide a real-time, actionable picture of operations
that will be invaluable to Airport Operations, emergency response, and security. 
In addition, advanced analytics and reporting will provide trends and correlations for better
decision making and process improvement. Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, and the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) have provided letters of endorsement for the project based on
the  efficiency  and  safety  improvements  they  have  seen  at  other  airports that  have
implemented a similar system. 

Template revised September 22, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 6e                                  Page 2 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2019 

Design for the installation of sensors and cameras used by the new system is included in this
authorization. Authorization for construction  will follow in a future Commission request 
anticipated for Q3 2020. 
Funding for this project was included in the 2019-2023 capital budget and plan of finance in the
amount of $5,000,000 under CIP #C800650, Surface Area Management System. The capital
budget increase of $1,200,000 will be transferred from the Aeronautical Allowance #C800753
resulting in no net change to the Aviation Division capital budget. 
JUSTIFICATION 
Over the last few years, the Port has invested in several key systems, practices, and services to
improve overall airfield efficiency. This includes Airport Surface Detection System (ASDE-X),
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Flight Information System (FIMS), Visual
Docking Guidance Systems (Safedock), and Foreign Object Debris Detection System (FOD).
Although, existing systems improve the airport's detection of activities within their respective
coverage areas, they do not provide a holistic view or understanding of underlying reasons or
root causes for delays, bottlenecks, or deficiencies. These systems detect and tell us what is
occurring, but we are unaware of why they are occurring, or where there may be opportunities
to improve. For example, existing systems can tell us how long an aircraft may hold for a gate,
or the taxiing time to reach the gate, but there is no way of knowing if the aircraft had to hold
for the gate due to a vehicle blocking its path, a lack of personnel to marshal or guide the
aircraft into the gate, or a delay in the departure of a preceding aircraft. Without knowing the
cause for these deficiencies, the airport has no way to effectively improve and correct
underlying causes for inefficiency. 
As a result, the Port continues to lack sufficient situational awareness of aircraft, vehicle, and
equipment movement on the airport ramp, gate, and aircraft parking areas, hindering the
Airport's  ability  to  diagnose  and  mitigate  capacity  issues,  anticipate  threats,  realize
organizational gaps and lapses, and optimize gate usage.
The implementation of a SAM system is the next step in the evolution of this effort and will
address the remaining gaps in sensor coverage as well as limitations in diagnostic and forensic
tools. SAM will also integrate and leverage data from existing systems and sensors into a
consolidated tool to enhance situational awareness and business performance. 
This project includes several important operational and safety benefits. 
1)  SAM will improve efficiency by detecting taxi times and the underlying causes of delays
and airfield bottlenecks, synchronizing ground traffic flow with FAA's airspace
procedures to set taxi routes, and alerting staff of delays so we can more proactively
mitigate issues. It is estimated that, annually, a 15-second taxi time reduction for 25 

Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 6e                                  Page 3 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2019 
percent of operations will save airlines up to $7,500,000 and reduce emissions by 2,105
metric tons. 
2)  SAM will improve safety by providing data to determine incident root cause and develop
mitigation measures and intercepting potential hazards before they become an incident. 
3)  SAM will improve legal defense by providing forensic data associated with incidents.
This may include video, vehicle speed, erratic driving patterns, and operating conditions. 
4)  SAM will improve business performance by showing real-time gate usage to reduce
conflicts,  track  progress  of  deicing  equipment  and  match  schedule  with  aircraft
readiness, and more accurately record hardstand usage for billing purposes. 
DETAILS 
Scope of Work 
Procure and implement a surface area management system to improve situational
awareness and business performance for the Sea-Tac Airport ramp, gate, and aircraft
parking areas. Design and construct power and data points of connection for new cameras
and sensors located throughout the ramp, gate, and aircraft parking areas to support the
SAM system. 
Schedule 
Activity 
Commission Authorization                   2019 Quarter 2 
Procurement Complete                    2019 Quarter 2 
Construction Commission Authorization      2020 Quarter 3 
Substantial Completion Date                 2021 Quarter 2 
Cost Breakdown                           This Request      Total Project 
Capital 
Hardware/Software/Vendor Services         $2,623,000        $2,623,000 
Port Labor                                      $854,000          $934,000 
Sensor/Camera Installation                    $905,000        $2,643,000 
Total Capital                                    $4,382,000         $6,200,000 
Expense 
Training                                         $200,000           $200,000 
Spare Parts                                     $200,000          $200,000 
Total Expense                                  $400,000          $400,000 
TOTAL PROJECT                           $4,782,000       $6,600,000 


Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 6e                                  Page 4 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2019 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1  Continue to operate without a comprehensive Surface Area Management
System 
Cost Implications: $0 
Pros: 
(1)   Capital funding and annual recurring operating cost is available for other efforts. 
Cons: 
(1)   No  improvement  in  situational  awareness  will  hamper  our  ability  to  improve
processes, detect and correct hazardous conditions, and proactively manage emerging
issues. 
(2)   Lack  of  accurate  and  timely  information  will  reduce  our  ability to  recreate  and
evaluate incidents. 
(3)   Lack of sufficient capabilities to effectively identify and perform proactive mitigation
of emerging hazards and trends. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2  Retrofit existing systems to resolve some gaps in the non-movement areas. 
Cost Implications: $3,600,000 
Pros: 
(1)   This alternative is less costly than the recommended solution both in product costs as
well as annual recurring costs. 
(2)   Port personnel have experience in working with current systems. 
Cons: 
(1)   Existing systems do not currently meet the broader requirements of a surface area
management system and this alternative will require commitment from vendors to
make the necessary changes. 
(2)   These vendors do not have experience providing a full-featured solution in an airport
environment. 
(3)   There is no certainty that retrofitting the existing system will provide significant
improvements to situational awareness, due to potential limitations of the existing
systems. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 




Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 6e                                  Page 5 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2019 
Alternative 3  Procure and implement a Surface Area Management system for the Sea-Tac
non-movement area. 
Cost Implications: Total 10-Year Cost $18,600,000 (Project Cost: $6,600,000; 10-Year Recurring
$12,000,000) 
Pros: 
(1)   The new system will provide essential airfield situational awareness and business
performance improvement tools to support the Sea-Tac goals of operating a worldclass
airport. 
(2)   There are opportunities to reduce other point solutions that overlap requirements,
reducing maintenance costs, training, and operational efficiency. 
Cons: 
(1)   Capital funding and annual recurring costs are higher than the alternative. 
This is the recommended alternative. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Cost Estimate/Authorization Summary               Capital        Expense           Total 
COST ESTIMATE 
Original estimate                                 $5,000,000               $0      $5,000,000 
Budget Increase                                $1,200,000       $400,000      $1,600,000 
AUTHORIZATION 
Previous authorizations                             $80,000               $0         $80,000 
Current request for authorization                $4,382,000        $400,000      $4,782,000 
Total authorizations, including this request       $4,462,000        $400,000      $4,862,000 
Remaining amount to be authorized            $1,738,000             $0     $1,738,000 
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds 
This project was included in the 2019-2023 capital budget and plan of finance for $5,000,000
under CIP #C800650, Surface Area Management System.  The capital budget increase of
$1,200,000 will be transferred from the Aeronautical Allowance C800753 resulting in no net
change to the Aviation Division capital budget. The funding source would be the Airport
Development Fund and future bond. The expense budget increase of $400,000 for spare parts
and training will be budgeted in 2020. 
Financial Analysis and Summary 
Project cost for analysis              $6,600,000 
Business Unit (BU)                  Airfield Movement Area 
Effect on business performance     NOI after depreciation will increase 
(NOI after depreciation) 

Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.

COMMISSION AGENDA  Action Item No. 6e                                  Page 6 of 6 
Meeting Date: June 11, 2019 
IRR/NPV (if relevant)                N/A 
CPE Impact                       $0.07 in 2021 
Future Revenues and Expenses (Total cost of ownership) 
Annual recurring maintenance and license costs for this system, estimated at $1,190,000 will be
budgeted in the Aviation Operations operating budget. Port support and spare parts are
estimated at $10,000 annually will be budgeted in the Aviation Maintenance and Information &
Communication Technology operating budgets. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
Surface Area Management Letters of Endorsement 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None 












Template revised September 22, 2016; format updates October 19, 2016.