Overview

1
Overview

• Use of public transportation at airports
• Definition of public transportation
• Use at U.S. airports
• Use at overseas airports
• Factors affecting use of public transportation

2
Sources of Data

• Data assembled as part of TCRP Project B-18,
  Improving Public Transportation Access to Large
  Airports
• Gathered most recent mode choice data from top
  40 airports
• Organized data using common definitions
• Asked airports to review and correct data

3
Definitions of Airport Ground Transportation
Services

• Non-public transportation/private vehicles
• Public transportation

4
Classes of Airport Ground Transportation Services
5
Classes of Airport Ground Transportation Services
6
Non-public Transportation services /Private
vehicles
Non-public
Public Transportation Service

• Private vehicles
• Rental cars
• Courtesy vehicles
• Airline crew vehicles
• Taxicabs
• Town cars (on-demand limos)
• Pre-arranged limousines
• Chartered buses and vans

• Rail
• Scheduled buses
• Multi-stop service
• Express service
• Shared-ride, door-to-door vans

7
Public Transportation Market ShareU.S. Airports
with Direct Rail Service
8
Public Transportation Market ShareOverseas
Airports with Direct Rail Service
9
Public Transportation Market ShareU.S. Airports
with Shuttle Bus to Rail Stations
10
Public Transportation Market ShareU.S. Airports
without Rail Service
11
Key Factors Affecting Use of Rail Service by
Airline Passengers

• 1. Proportion of trip ends in CBD
• 2. Characteristics of passenger market
• 3. Regional travel time
• 4. Ability to walk between station and
  destination

12
Key Factors Affecting Use of Rail Service by
Airline Passengers (contd)

• 5. Extent of regional coverage
• 6. On-airport travel time
• 7. Frequency of service
• 8. Availability of parking at non-airport stations

13
Opportunity for Rail Service at Overseas Airports

• Ridership greater overseas
• Reliance on rail in Europe and Asia
• Feeder connections to long-haul flights (national
  market)
• Factors that allow rail to attract large market
  shares overseas are not directly transferable to
  most U.S. cities
• High concentration of trip ends
• Fast total travel times due to large, integrated
  network
• Differential point-to-point travel times (rail
  vs. auto)
• Short travel time due to single terminal (vs.
  unit terminals)

14
Opportunity for Rail Service at U.S. Airports

• Apparent ceiling on use of public transport
• Exceeds 15 at only 3 U.S. airports (all public
  transportation modes)
• 90 of passengers use non-public transportation
  at most airports

15
Opportunity for Rail Service at U.S. Airports

• Apparent ceiling on use of public transport
• Exceeds 15 at only 3 U.S. airports (all public
  transportation modes)
• 90 of passengers use non-public transportation
  at most airports
• Relatively few U.S. cities have the airport user
  characteristics, layout, and rail system required
  for a successful system

16
Key Factors Affecting Use of Bus and Van Service
by Airline Passengers

• 1. Door-to-door transportation
• 2. Express (non-stop) service
• 3. On-airport travel time
• 4. Pick up/drop-off locations

17
Key Factors Affecting Use of Bus and Van Service
by Airline Passengers (contd)

• 5. Frequency of service
• 6. Regional travel time (open market vs.
  exclusive agreement)
• 7. Form of competition
• 8. Extent of regional coverage

18
Opportunity for Bus and Van Service

• Respond to passenger desire for greater
  convenience
• Easier to design special airport services to
  respond to market
• Airline passenger only (vs. adapting multi-stop
  commuter service)
• Door-to-door service
• Express service
• Smaller investment required (vs. rail)
• Operating environment (public vs. private)

19
Key Factors Affecting Use of Public
Transportation Services

• Rail Bus/Van
• Service Service

Proportion of trip ends in CBD X Characteristics
of passenger market X X Regional travel
times X X Ability to walk between station and
destination X Door-to-door transportation X Avail
ability of parking at stations X Extent of
regional converge X X On-airport travel
time X X Frequency of Service X X Express
service X Pick-up and drop-off locations X Form
of competition X
20
Conclusions

• Limited market for public transportation (all
  forms) at U.S. airports (e.g., 15)
• Primary market for rail is passengers
• Having trip ends in downtown (or other
  well-served area)
• Travelling alone with little baggage
• Familiar with rail service
• Relatively few U.S. cities have characteristics
  required for successful rail system
• Objectives might be best served by plans that
  focus on bus/van service

21
Factors Affecting the Use of Public Access Modes
at Airports
2001 An Airspace Odyssey Airport Noise Air
Quality Symposia 2001 San Diego, California
Presented by Peter Mandle Leigh Fisher
Associates San Francisco, California
March 2, 2001