PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      4c 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting      July 12, 2016 
DATE:    July 5, 2016 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Dave Wilson, Chief Aviation Technologist 
Peter Garlock, Chief Information Officer 
SUBJECT:  Passenger Flow Information System (CIP #C800709) 
Amount of This Request:        $1,331,000   Source of Funds:   Airport Development
Fund 
Est. Total Project Cost:          $1,331,000 
Est. State and Local Taxes:         $28,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to (1) proceed with the
Passenger Flow Information System project; (2) procure required hardware, software, vendor
services, and maintenance; and (3) use Port staff for implementation, for a total project cost not
to exceed $1,331,000. 
SYNOPSIS 
As passenger enplanements continue to grow the collection and use of real time passenger
movement data is critical for operations and effective customer communication. The Airport
Passenger Flow Information project will utilize a variety of technologies to predict and record
traffic flow at Security Checkpoints. This will allow us to efficiently adjust staffing levels, better
inform TSA, and provide valuable information to passengers concerned about making their
flight. 
This project will procure a passenger flow information system via a competitive procurement
and install for Airport security checkpoints 2 through 5. Checkpoint 1 is currently used only for
training and airline personnel. Information & Communication Technology (ICT), Aviation
Maintenance, and Port Construction Services (PCS) resources will complete the project. 
BACKGROUND 
Data from the 2011 to 2015 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey indicates that waiting time at
security checkpoints is consistently one of the most important service items among the 28 items
measured.  The ASQ also shows that Sea-Tac Airport is rated lower for this service item than
most comparable domestic airports. In addition, service at security checkpoints consistently

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
July 5, 2016 
Page 2 of 5 
ranked in the top five complaints at Sea-Tac Airport from 2011 to 2015, as collected in the Port
of Seattle Comment Tracking System. 
Through the security checkpoint task force, formed to improve wait times for Sea-Tac, an effort
was launched to provide manually calculated wait times on existing flight information displays
and the Airport Wi-Fi introductory page. The information is also available to external partners
via a data feed. These wait time estimates have a 15 minute range, are only available during peak
hours, and require dedicated staff to log the information. 
PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
Good customer service is an important Airport strategy and checkpoint wait times have one of
the biggest impacts on our traveling public. With record increases in passengers expected in
2016, checkpoint processing has ballooned to over an hour during peak times. This increases the
anxiety and frustration of all passengers. 
Project Objectives 
Provide accurate security checkpoint wait times to: 
Lessen the apprehension felt by many passengers when faced with long lines and
uncertainty on whether they will make their flight. 
Allow travelers to self-select their preferred checkpoint to better balance queues. 
Provide real-time queue measurements and statistics to airport staff to enable them to
better respond to wait times resulting in negative customer service impact; and trending
data used to measure the benefits from performance improvement process changes. 
Scope of Work 
Procure and install an automated passenger flow system that will track the density and
movement of passengers using a system of cameras and other sensors. 
Development of a new feature for the SeaTac Mobile Application, currently in
development, that will provide users the current wait times for the 4 security
checkpoints. 
Update the current wait time displays and data feed to reflect the automated content. 
Schedule 
Commission Approval                                   July 2016 
Procurement Complete                                  January 2017 
Project Complete                                        March 2018 



Revised March 28, 2016  pjw

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
July 5, 2016 
Page 3 of 5 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Budget/Authorization Summary              Capital     Expense   Total Project 
Original Budget                      $1,000,000          $0    $1,331,000 
Budget increase                        $215,000     $116,000     $331,000 
Revised budget                      $1,215,000     $116,000    $1,331,000 
Previous Authorizations                       $0          $0          $0 
Current request for authorization            $1,215,000      $116,000    $1,331,000 
Total Authorizations, including this request     $1,215,000          $0    $1,331,000 
Remaining budget to be authorized               $0          $0          $0 
Total Estimated Project Cost              $1,215,000     $116,000    $1,331,000 
Project Cost Breakdown                     This Request       Total Project 
Hardware                                $48,000          $48,000 
Software license and vendor services                 $300,000          $300,000 
Equipment installation                          $525,000          $525,000 
Software configuration and testing                  $310,000           $310,000 
Permitting                                      $0               $0 
State & local taxes (estimated)                      $32,000            $32,000 
Total Capital                             $1,215,000         $1,215,000 
RMM                       $106,000       $106,000 
Training                                    $10,000           $10,000 
Total Expense                            $116,000         $116,000 
Budget Status and Source of Funds 
Total project costs are estimated to be $1,331,000 which includes capital funds of $1,215,000
and $116,000 for regulated materials management (RMM) and training. $1,000,000 in funding
for this project was included in the 2016-2020 capital budget and plan of finance. The remaining
$215,000 for the capital funding will be transferred from the aeronautical allowance CIP
(C800404) to the project (C800709) resulting in no net change to the Aviation Division capital
budget. 





Revised March 28, 2016  pjw

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
July 5, 2016 
Page 4 of 5 
Financial Analysis and Summary 
CIP Category             Renewal/Enhancement 
Project Type              Technology 
Risk adjusted discount rate     N/A 
Key risk factors             N/A 
Project cost for analysis        $1,331,000 
Business Unit (BU)          Terminal Building 
Effect on business performance  N/A 
IRR/NPV             N/A 
CPE Impact             $. 01 
Lifecycle Cost and Savings 
Maintenance and support for this system is estimated at $75,000 annually which includes
$35,000 in Port Labor and $40,000 for the software license and parts. This will be budgeted in
the ICT and Aviation Maintenance Operating Budgets. 
STRATEGIES AND OBJECTIVES 
This project will support the following Century Agenda and Aviation Strategic Goals. 
Advance this region as a leading tourism destination and business gateway 
Meet the region's air transportation needs at Sea-Tac Airport for the next 25 years 
Position the Puget Sound region as a premier international logistics hub 
As passenger numbers grow and congestion at security checkpoints increases, the traveler
experience at Sea-Tac gets more frustrating. The dissemination of security checkpoint wait times
is an important customer service initiative to alleviate anxiety and balance checkpoint queues. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1  Continue to display wait times using manually collected data 
Cost Implications: $60,000 per year 
Pros: 
(1)  Capital and expense funds of $1,331,000 can be allocated to other projects 
Cons: 
(1)  Wait times will rely only on the estimates from airport staff and will not get more
granular than 15 minute increments. 
(2)  It is not realistic that staff are allocated 24 hours per day so wait times would only
be available during peak periods. Since travelers will check wait times no matter
their traveling hours, it will be important to have this information at all times. 
(3)  The collection of manual data for wait time display is new and not yet fully
validated in a production environment. 

Revised March 28, 2016  pjw

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
July 5, 2016 
Page 5 of 5 

This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2  Procure an automated passenger wait time information system 
Cost Implications: $1,331,000 
Pros: 
(1)  Information from an automated wait time calculation covering 24 hours will
provide the best customer service experience for travelers moving through our
security checkpoint areas. 
(2)  Resources previously dedicated to manually collecting wait times can be allocated
to positions with a greater impact on customer service. 
Cons: 
(1)  Equipment for this technology is extensive and will require the installation of
camera or other sensors in the areas that are already congested. While every effort
will be made to minimize disruptions during deployments, there may be
unavoidable impacts to operations. 
This is the recommended alternative. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
None. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
June 25, 2013  A request for authorization to move forward with a security checkpoint
wait time project was postponed for further consideration. It was later deferred by
Airport Management. 






Revised March 28, 2016  pjw