Economic Aspects of Rail Access to Airports

Abstract

Increasing air traffic volumes at major metropolitan airports, combined with increasing congestion on the regional highway systems serving the airports, is leading to landslide capacity constraints at many airports. Faced with limited options for significant improvements in highway travel time or capacity, the construction of airport rail access links is being proposed in several urban areas. This paper examines the factors affecting the use and economics of airport rail access links, including the characteristics of airport access traffic and the need to consider alternative ways to provide access services. The economic and developmental factors influencing the feasibility of constructing airport rail links are examined by means of two case studies that review recent proposals for rail access projects in the San Francisco Bay Area and the New York region. The paper concludes that the economic feasibility of rail access projects is greatly enhanced when airport rail service can be provided as part of a regional corridor service, and that the evaluation should consider regional development, land‐use trends, and the role of regional airports within the overall transportation system.