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CENTRALIZED TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT RENEWAL
The Transportation Services Committee recommends the adoption of the
recommendations contained in the following report dated May 27, 2013, from the Commissioner of Transportation and Community Planning.
1. RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended that:
1. Council authorize an extension of the agreement with Command Engineering International Limited to provide centralized traffic control system software maintenance services for a further term of five years, expiring on December 31, 2017, in the amount of $216,850.
2. The Commissioner of Transportation and Community Planning be authorized to negotiate an extension of the agreement for such further terms as may be required to maintain the system, including negotiation of satisfactory pricing for any renewal term.
2. PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek approval to renew the existing contract with Command Engineering International Limited for Centralized Traffic Control System software maintenance services.
3. BACKGROUND
The Region’s Centralized Traffic Control System allows staff to monitor and adjust traffic signal timing from the Central Traffic Control Room
The Centralized Traffic Control System allows all traffic control signals in York Region to be monitored from the Central Traffic Control Room located at 90 Bales Drive East. It provides the ability to remotely adjust traffic signal timings and the ability to quickly identify issues to manage traffic signal operations.
Through the Centralized Traffic Control System, the traffic control signals also relay information about traffic signal status with respect to traffic signals flashing and power
outages as well as more complex information such as changes in traffic signal operations that may have resulted from emergency vehicle special timing events.
Command Engineering is the sole proprietor of the Centralized Traffic Control System software.
Since 1994, Delcan Corporation has been retained as the Project Manager and System Designer of the Region’s Centralized Traffic Control System. The objective of this project was to improve traffic flow and mitigate response times using computerized central control of signal timings. The Project was funded under the Canada/Ontario Infrastructure Works Program and the project was initiated with the Region in 1996. Since then, Command Engineering International Limited, a subsidiary of Delcan
Corporation, has been retained by the Region to maintain the Centralized Traffic Control System software due to the proprietary vendor specific software used within the system. The existing Centralized Traffic Control System is critical to operation of the Region’s traffic signal system and is connected to 814 traffic signals. The compatibility with existing traffic signal controllers and cabinets in the field is essential to allow for monitoring and signal timing adjustments from the Central Traffic Control Room. The continued use of the existing Central Traffic Control System is necessary as an interim solution until a long term conversion plan to a proposed new system is complete.
4. ANALYSIS AND OPTIONS
A new traffic control system is being introduced under the vivaNext project A new state-of-the-art traffic control system called Centracs that is compliant with the National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) has been procured. This is a second by second system which requires a high speed communication network to operate efficiently. The first signalized intersections using this system will be on the section of Highway 7 that is currently under construction for vivaNext. Region owned fibre optic cable will be brought into the traffic cabinets allowing for high speed communication to these traffic signal intersections. As York Region continues to build this fibre network, traffic signal locations along those paths will be connected to the new system.
Although a new traffic control system is being introduced, there is a continuing need to maintain the existing centralized traffic control system In the March 27, 2008 Council Report entitled “Centralized Traffic Control System Software Maintenance Contract Award” staff identified that a new traffic system would be expected within the next 5 years. This new system (Centracs) is being implemented with the new vivaNext installations. However, the full migration to the Centracs system will be long term and the conversion to the Centracs system will be planned as part of a
migration strategy to be established as illustrated in Figure 1. Migration to the new centralized traffic control system requires a high speed communication network and new traffic signal controllers that are compatible with the Centracs System.
Therefore, Command Engineering software for the existing system will continue to be required to operate and communicate with signalized intersections. The ability to operate and manage both systems at the same time can be accomplished with existing resources and is common when addressing mature centralized traffic control systems dealing with a large number of signalized intersections.
Figure 1 depicts the migration from the existing system to the Centracs system (estimated values shown for conversion program). This report provides for software maintenance services (for the existing Delcan system) until the end of 2017. There will be subsequent renewal periods needed so long as the existing system continues to be required.
Figure 1: Conversion of Traffic Signals from Delcan System to Centracs System
The current agreement provides the necessary software maintenance services for the existing centralized traffic control system
There is an existing agreement between the Traffic Management & Intelligent Transportation Systems (TM&ITS) Branch and Command Engineering International Limited to provide software support and maintenance services. The software maintenance and support agreement provides:
• Scheduled software maintenance activities and record of results • System diagnosis and trouble-shooting
• Update of system documentation • Monitoring of third party software
• Software modifications and build activities required as a result of software enhancements
The existing agreement ends July 10, 2013, and therefore it is necessary to renew the contract for continued support by Command Engineering International Limited as a proprietary software and system.
Link to key Council-approved plans
York Region’s existing Centralized Traffic Control System directly supports York Region’s Transportation Master Plan and Official Plan by optimizing roads to accommodate all modes of travel through traffic signal monitoring and signal timing adjustments.
5. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Command Engineering International Limited has been providing these services
satisfactorily; therefore, it is recommended that the existing contract be renewed for an additional five years.
The average annual operating cost over the next five years will be approximately $43,000. The 2013 Operating Budget contains sufficient funds for this activity. This amount will continue in the base budget submissions for 2014 to 2017. Costs associated with future contract renewal terms beyond 2017 will need to be negotiated at the time of future renewals.
Table 1 provides a summary of the central system software maintenance and support costs to be paid to Command Engineering International Limited over the next five years.
Table 1
Software Maintenance and Support Costs
Description 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Total
Maintenance Services $41,300 $42,300 $43,350 $44,400 $45,500 $216,850
The software maintenance and support cost in 2013 is $41,300.00. This is approximately 2.5% higher than the cost in 2012 which was $40,300.00. The annual amount increases by the same percentage for each year through to 2017
6. LOCAL MUNICIPAL IMPACT
The existing system is used to operate those traffic signals the Region’s maintains and operates on behalf of local municipalities in order to monitor and adjust traffic signal timings to improve traffic conditions.
7. CONCLUSION
Command Engineering International Limited has been providing these services satisfactorily; therefore, it is recommended that the existing contract be renewed. It is recommended that the payment of software support and maintenance costs of $216,850 (excluding taxes) to Command Engineering International Limited for a period of five years from July 1, 2013 until December 31, 2017 be approved, and that the existing agreement be amended accordingly. It is also recommended that future renewal of this Contract be permitted under the authority of the Commissioner of Transportation and Community Planning, subject to the approval of Legal Services as to form and content and available budget.
For more information on this report, please contact Paul Nause, Manager, Traffic Engineering and ITS at Ext.5219.
