Year: 2021

Activity-based models offer more functionality than standard trip-based models. However, user concerns about activity-based models’ cost, complexity, and support have limited their wider adoption.

ActivitySim is different. It is open source, purpose-built, and grounded in the principles of collaboration and modern software engineering.

ActivitySim was developed by RSG and is the product of a consortium of member agencies overseen by the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO). Most importantly to users, it is a state-of-the-practice modeling platform that is always improving.

Want to learn more? Check out our latest white paper that describes ActivitySim’s key advantages, applications to date, and future development.

RSG President Tom Adler coauthored an article for the latest issue of TR News. The article summarizes research RSG conducted into how transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft have impacted airport revenues and operations. Specifically, it discusses findings from ACRP Research Report 215: Transportation Network Companies (TNCs)—Impacts to Airport Revenues and Operations—Reference Guide, which was published in 2020.

ACRP Research Report 215 follows work done as part of ACRP Synthesis 84: Transportation Network Companies—Challenges and Opportunities for Airport Operators, which was published in 2017. ACRP Synthesis 84 concluded more research was needed into the topic. In response, ACRP Research Report 215 describes strategic approaches and practical tools that airports can reference to develop ground access programs that align with their policy goals. Both ACRP Research Report 215 and ACRP Synthesis 84 surveyed 100 of the largest airports in the United States. These findings helped the research team understand TNC operations at each of these airports, the resulting access mode shares, and the revenues received from TNC fees. The data also helped the research team develop integrated supply and demand models to estimate the effects of TNC growth and TNC-related pricing policies on airport access mode shares and revenues.

The application of the models confirmed the complex (and often counterintuitive) relationship between pricing, revenue, and mode choice in the context of airport ground access. While the work completed for ACRP Research Report 215 occurred prior to COVID-19, the research team's methods remain relevant as airports look for ways to attract customers and increase revenue. Given these changes, airport operators can still consider the specific tools, guidelines, and policy levers described in ACRP Research Report 215 to support their decision-making in a rapidly evolving travel environment during and after the pandemic.

To learn more about how air travel is changing, visit RSG's COVID-19 Transportation Insights Panel page.

TR News is copyright, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; posted with permission of the Transportation Research Board

RSG Consultant Alex Levin was recently nominated and selected by a group of industry peers to be featured in the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Young Member Council – Aviation (YMC-A) Quarterly Spotlight.

Since joining RSG in 2016, Alex has worked on several major airport ground access transportation projects across the United States. He played a major role in the Logan Airport Ground Access and Trip Reduction Strategy Study, which RSG completed in 2019. He also contributed to TRB's ACRP Research Report 215: Transportation Network Companies (TNCs): Impacts to Airport Revenues and Operations—Reference Guide.

Alex has a bachelor’s degree in geography and economics from McGill University and a master’s degree in sustainable urban development from DePaul University. He is a Chaddick Scholar and a StartingBloc Fellow.