PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      7a 
STAFF BRIEFING 
Date of Meeting      June 23, 2015 
DATE:    June 15, 2015 
TO:     Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Dave Soike, Director, Aviation Facilities and Capital Program 
Wendy Reiter, Director, Aviation Security and Emergency Preparedness 
Wayne Grotheer, Director, Aviation Project Management Group 
SUBJECT:  Checked Baggage Optimization Project Briefing 
SYNOPSIS 
The objective for this briefing is to update the Commission on the Checked Baggage
Optimization Project that increases capacity for greater baggage volumes, increases
flexibility to allow travelers to check in bags anywhere in ticketing and be able to convey
the bag to any airline, meet a reduced minimum-connect-time goal, and provides energy
efficiency.
This Commission briefing will cover many areas: 
The distinction between how the existing baggage system operates and how the
future optimized system will operate by showing an excerpt of a design animation
model.
Original design parameters set in 2012 will be recounted and contrasted with how
recent very high passenger growth has outpaced the progress of the optimization
project.  Sea-Tac is the fastest growing airport in the country.  This creates
pressure to both accelerate the optimization program where possible (as noted in
the airport business plan) and to define and implement additional complementary
baggage projects in cooperation with, and guided by, the sustainable airport
master plan (SAMP) outcomes. Photo slides will show two such projects nearing
completion, however more will be needed.
Budget and schedule updates will be included. The project remains on budget and
on schedule; however, passenger growth will drive new costs for the separate
complementary projects noted above.
While the high growth rate drives need for more master planning and resulting
complementary projects, it also increases complexity to a large extent.
Photographs will be used to demonstrate the complexity and how it reaches across
the entire terminal complex. 

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
June 15, 2015 
Page 2 of 4 
The top three challenges for the project will be identified. One of which has been
mitigated since the initial drafting of the attached presentation.
Finally the objectives and related metrics of the project will be identified.
RECENT DESIGN PROGRESS: 
The Checked Baggage Optimization project has progressed positively from the 30
percent design in late 2013, and has now submitted the 70 percent design to the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  for review. The 70 percent  design
incorporates a single centralized screening area that is located in the middle of the
existing terminal. The central screening area will occupy 21,000 square feet of the
existing basement level and 28,000 square feet of the existing apron level, with the
necessity to construct a building extension for an additional 3,800 square feet. The TSA
has been involved as design has progressed. 100 percent design will be submitted to TSA
in Q4, 2015. The current schedule shows construction occurring in three phases, with
Phase one Notice to Proceed scheduled for Q2, 2016, and Beneficial Occupancy
scheduled for Q2, 2019. The project is currently scheduled for the third phase to obtain
Beneficial Occupancy Q3, 2023. The Checked Baggage Optimization project is on target
for the schedule and scope originally defined. 
The design is based upon a common use outbound system where any bag can be inserted
anywhere in the system, screened, sorted, and sent to any destination. This provides
Aviation Planning and Operations flexibility since any airline can be relocated anywhere
within in the ticketing lobby and among aircraft gates without requiring baggage system
changes. 
The scope and design generally takes the airport to 45 million annual passengers (MAP)
with flexibility and expandability for separate future projects to expand the system to 66
MAP. 66 MAP is the current planning horizon identified by the SAMP. The current
design includes a plan for future right of ways to ease future expansion in this rapidly
growing airport. New technologies have been incorporated into the current design to
improve the system's performance and longevity. 
The budget summary for the project to date is as follows: 
Total Project Budget                                 $320,400,000 
Total TSA Contribution                              $93,220,422 
Total Commission Authorization to Date                    $20,225,000 
Amount Spent to Date (as of 4-17-15)                       $7,080,551 
TSA Reimbursement to Date                          $5,231,891 
The Checked Baggage Optimization project is on budget as originally scoped.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
June 15, 2015 
Page 3 of 4 
The Airport system of baggage conveyors is one of the most complex systems in the
Airport. It gets high use and is aging. Portions of the system were rebuilt in rapid fashion
immediately after the events of September 11, 2001.
In its current state, the Airport system is not a single system, but rather many separate
systems that bags must transfer between. Modifying the separate systems was the best
way to rapidly increase security after September 11 and those separate systems were
designed to include a nominal amount of passenger growth. In addition, as specific airline
needs emerged over the ensuing years or as airlines were relocated, the separate systems
have been modified to meet the carriers' specific operating needs. Although various
baggage projects have occurred to meet operating needs over the years, the systems
continue to have limited capacity to meet both near- and long-term growth needs of the
Airport overall.
The Airport is faced with three problems: 1) the existing separate systems have major
subsystems, such as controls, that are aging and must be replaced; 2) there is limited
ability for the current systems to be expanded in their current configuration to adequately
meet growing passenger demands and 3) separate systems lack interconnectivity between
ticket counters and all of the aircraft gates. Passenger growth is expected to increase.
This is a major and near-term challenge for the Airport due to both the complexity to
keep operations on-going during construction, and due to major space constraints in order
to double the system's capacity to meet future growth. 
Although the challenge is large, the Airport is fortunate that the TSA invested to improve
their operations in Sea-Tac. The TSA has higher operating costs because of the multiple
screening systems in six locations versus what they will have with a consolidated
baggage system. Therefore the Baggage Optimization project is designing the new
system to accommodate Port of Seattle needs while keeping the TSA needs in mind.
Airport and TSA staff have been working cooperatively during design. 
Longer-term demands include being able to handle the 66 MAP which is the expected
top-end limit of the Airport based on both airfield and landside capabilities. The design
has also focused on building in easy growth capability into the current design plans. Thus
inherent in the overall design is the flexibility for later projects to add capacity to reach 
66 MAP with minimal changes to the TSA security scanning and search areas. The
results of the SAMP are not yet available, however the baggage design team is engaged
and working with the SAMP team. Should the SAMP result in a recommendation for a
new north or south terminal, additional baggage system improvements beyond the scope
of Baggage Optimization will be required. SAMP may also provide relief by providing
additional new space for baggage facilities in future remote concourses, thereby relieving
pressure within the constrained footprint of the existing terminal bagwell area.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
June 15, 2015 
Page 4 of 4 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS BRIEFING 
Computer slide presentation. 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
September 10, 2013  The Commission authorized the execution of an Other
Transaction Agreement (OTA) with TSA for reimbursable costs for design;
construction, and to authorize $15 million to continue from 30% to 100%
design; and execute a consultant service agreement for program management
support services. 
August 20, 2013  Response to questions from Commissioners asked during
August 6, 2013 Commission Meeting. 
August 6, 2013  The Commission was briefed on the near-term and long-term
challenges related to handling checked baggage at the Airport. 
January 22, 2013  The Commission authorized $5 million for staff to begin
design through 30%, and to enter into an agreement to allow reimbursement
from the federal government to the Port for eligible elements of the 30% design
effort. 
January 8, 2013  Baggage Systems Briefing. 
August 14, 2012  Baggage system recapitalization/optimization was noted in
the 2013 business plan and capital briefing as a significant capital project not
included in 2013-17 capital program. 
August 7, 2012  Baggage system recapitalization/optimization was referenced
as one of the drivers for the need to develop an Airport Sustainability Master
Plan. 
June 26, 2012  The Airport's baggage systems were discussed during a
briefing on terminal development challenges. 
May 10, 2012  TSA's interest in a national recapitalization/optimization plan
for all baggage screening operations was referenced in a design authorization
request for the C60-C61 Baggage Handling System Modifications Project.