Transportation plans in some communities have focused on providing rail service to the local airport, whereas other communities have emphasized bus and van service. The opportunity for rail, bus, and van service at U.S. airports and the use of these services by airline passengers at the large airports in the United States and overseas are reviewed. On the basis of the airline passenger mode share data presented, there appears to be a “ceiling” on the market for public transportation (rail, bus, and shared-ride vans) at airports in the United States. The ceiling on public transportation use by airline passengers in most cities appears to be about 10 to 15 percent, even at airports with rail service. The primary potential market for rail service is passengers who have trip ends in downtown areas (or other areas well served by rail), who are traveling alone and who have little or no baggage, and who are familiar with the rail service and are able to walk from the rail station to their final destination. In many cities the objectives of transportation planners and airport operators (i.e., encouraging the use of efficient access modes) might best be served by transportation plans that focus on bus or van services.

In many regions, satellite (i.e., remote, off-airport) terminals that provide baggage check-in and baggage claim would provide several advantages to air travelers, including the ability to avoid parking at the airport or asking a relative or friend to drive to the airport, once to drop off and once to pick up the passengers; congested airline ticket counters and long lines at the skycap podiums; and traffic congestion on the way to the airport and at the airport curbsides. In some regions, such as Boston and Los Angeles, the benefits of satellite terminals have already been demonstrated, even though these terminals currently do not provide baggage check-in or baggage claim. In the United States, satellite terminals that provide baggage check-in and baggage claim serve only passengers traveling on a single airline or a distinct group of airline passengers (e.g., only passengers disembarking a cruise ship). However, baggage check-in and baggage claim for the general public is provided at several satellite terminals that serve overseas airports. The two most significant challenges to be overcome are satisfying FAA security requirements and justifying to airlines that the benefits of providing baggage check-in and baggage claim at a satellite terminal outweigh the associated costs.

Many light rail transit (LRT) systems in North America currently serve major activity centers, such as stadiums/arenas, convention centers, university campuses (which typically have stadiums, arenas, and large gathering halls), and large downtowns (which may also function as major activity centers). Major activity centers generate pedestrian and/or passenger surge-type flows that must be accommodated by the LRT stations serving the major activity center, as well as the actual LRT line capacity (in passengers per hour per direction). Passengers must be able to flow through the station, from ticketing to the boarding/alighting platform, efficiently and safely. Bottlenecks to consider on the stationside include ticket vending machines, transport from the ticketing to boarding areas (if any), and the station platform itself. Bottlenecks to consider on the railside include light rail car capacity, LRT signaling systems, LRT right-of-way types, and maximum LRT train lengths. The key to designing LRT for major activity centers is to balance the stationside and railside passenger flows.

Premium public parking services, such as valet, reserved, and business parking, are becoming increasingly popular at U.S. airports. They offer an enhanced level of customer service; are important business opportunities and sources of revenue for airports; contribute to reduction of curbside congestion, thereby encouraging travelers to park instead of being dropped off or picked up; and improve an airport’s ability to compete with privately operated, off-airport parking facilities. A study was conducted at more than 14 U.S. airports and demonstrated that successful premium public parking services provide a good combination of location, parking capacity, rate structure, quality of service, and business arrangements. Although these factors are very specific to each airport, general guidelines for parking managers who wish to optimize existing parking facilities, maximize net parking revenues, and provide a high level of customer service are outlined.

No abstract