01.15.2021
RSG President published in TR News on transportation network company impacts on airport revenue and operations
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