ACRP OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE^*

CHAIR

Marianne Csaky

LanzaJet

VICE CHAIR

Kimberly A. Kenville

University of North Dakota

MEMBERS

Balram “B” Bheodari

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Darryl Daniels

Jacobsen Daniels Associates

John Dermody

Federal Aviation Administration

Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge

St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Lance Lyttle

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Chad Makovsky

City of Phoenix (AZ)

Scott McMahon

Morristown Municipal Airport

Frank R. Miller

Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority

Ramon Ricondo

Ricondo and Associates, Inc.

Steve Sisneros

Southwest Airlines

Cathryn Stephens

Eugene Airport

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Justin Barkowski

American Association of Airport Executives

Sabrina Johnson

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Laura Rinaldi McKee

Airlines for America

Christopher J. Oswald

Airports Council International-North America

Gregory Pecoraro

National Association of State Aviation Officials

T.J. Schulz

Airport Consultants Council

Victoria Sheehan

Transportation Research Board

SECRETARY

Monique R. Evans

Transportation Research Board

__________________

^* Membership as of August 2024.

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE^*

OFFICERS

CHAIR: Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston

VICE CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

MEMBERS

Michael F. Ableson, CEO, Arrival Automotive-North America, Detroit, MI

James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ

Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City

Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul

Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany

Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington

Chris T. Hendrickson, Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA

Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA

Ashby Johnson, Executive Director, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Austin, TX

Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre

Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames

Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA

Michael R. McClellan, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Atlanta, GA

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta

Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY

Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley

Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC

Shailen Bhatt, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC

Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento

Rand Ghayad, Senior Vice President, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC

LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD

William H. Graham, Jr. (Major General, U.S. Army), Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC

Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Zahra “Niloo” Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council

Sophie Shulman, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC

Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Vinn White, Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC

AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

Airports are vital national resources. They serve a key role in transportation of people and goods and in regional, national, and international commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system connects with other modes of transportation and where federal responsibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry. The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the airport industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.

The need for ACRP was identified in TRB Special Report 272: Airport Research Needs: Cooperative Solutions in 2003, based on a study sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies and not being adequately addressed by existing federal research programs. ACRP is modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) and Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities in various airport subject areas, including design, construction, legal, maintenance, operations, safety, policy, planning, human resources, and administration. ACRP provides a forum where airport operators can cooperatively address common operational problems.

ACRP was authorized in December 2003 as part of the Vision 100—Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act. The primary participants in the ACRP are (1) an independent governing board, the ACRP Oversight Committee (AOC), appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation with representation from airport operating agencies, other stakeholders, and relevant industry organizations such as the Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA), the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), Airlines for America (A4A), and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC) as vital links to the airport community; (2) TRB as program manager and secretariat for the governing board; and (3) the FAA as program sponsor. In October 2005, the FAA executed a contract with the National Academy of Sciences formally initiating the program.

ACRP benefits from the cooperation and participation of airport professionals, air carriers, shippers, state and local government officials, equipment and service suppliers, other airport users, and research organizations. Each of these participants has different interests and responsibilities, and each is an integral part of this cooperative research effort.

Research problem statements for ACRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the AOC to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects and defining funding levels and expected products.

Once selected, each ACRP project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including airport professionals, the intended users of the research products. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, ACRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.

Primary emphasis is placed on disseminating ACRP results to the intended users of the research: airport operating agencies, service providers, and academic institutions. ACRP produces a series of research reports for use by airport operators, local agencies, the FAA, and other interested parties; industry associations may arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, webinars, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by airport industry practitioners.

ACRP SYNTHESIS 136

Project 11-03, Topic S06-08

ISSN 1935-9187

ISBN 978-0-309-72771-6

Digital Object Identifier: http://doi.org/10.17226/27994

Library of Congress Control Number 2024946677

© 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.

Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.

Cover photos courtesy of (clockwise from top left) Port of Seattle, Port of Seattle, San Francisco International Airport, and Denver International Airport.

NOTICE

The report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.

The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Airport Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

Published reports of the

AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

are available from

National Academies Press

500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360

Washington, DC 20001

(800) 624-6242

and can be ordered through the Internet by going to

https://nap.nationalacademies.org

Printed in the United States of America

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR ACRP SYNTHESIS 136

Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Marci A. Greenberger, Manager, Airport Cooperative Research Program

Jordan Christensen, Senior Program Officer

Demisha Williams, Senior Program Assistant

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications

ACRP PROJECT 11-03 PANEL

Joshua D. Abramson, Barge Design Solutions, Inc., Nashville, TN (Chair)

Brenda L. Enos, TRC, Boston, MA

Bryant Francis, Cleveland Airport System, Cleveland, OH

Kimberly A. Kenville, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND

Cameron Thompson, Birmingham Airport Authority, Birmingham, AL

Keila Walker-Denis, Orlando International Airport, Orlando, FL

Scott Wintner, San Jose Norman Y. Mineta International Airport, San Jose, CA

Patrick W. Magnotta, FAA Liaison

Liying Gu, Airports Council International-North America Liaison

Christine L. Gerencher, TRB Liaison

TOPIC S06-08 PANEL

Chappelle Broome-Stevenson, Elevation! Services, LLC, Columbia, SC

Brett Caldwell, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, San Diego, CA (deceased)

Lisa Truong Nguyen, Denver International Airport, Centennial, CO

David Tomporowski, Port of Seattle-Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, WA

Mary Tromp, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Fort Lauderdale, FL

ABOUT THE ACRP SYNTHESIS PROGRAM

Airport administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which information already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solving or alleviating the problem.

There is information on nearly every subject of concern to the airport industry. Much of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such useful information and to make it available to the entire airport community, the Airport Cooperative Research Program authorized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing project. This project, ACRP Project 11-03, “Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices,” searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an ACRP report series, Synthesis of Airport Practice.

This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each report in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems.

FOREWORD

By Jordan Christensen

 Staff Officer

 Transportation Research Board

Airports face challenges recruiting and maintaining their workforce, and one reason is the employee commute. Airports are typically located farther from residential areas and city centers to meet airside needs and to minimize the impact of noise to the community. Commuting time, method, and cost contribute to the employee commuting challenges, and some airports are addressing their employee commuting concerns.

The objective of this synthesis is to describe how airport employees commute to and from work and how airports are seeking to influence employee transportation decisions. The synthesis includes information on transportation management organizations, which provide alternate transportation solutions rather than using a personal vehicle by implementing transportation demand management programs. The audience for this synthesis is airport management or staff seeking to understand, plan for, and accommodate the transportation commute needs for airport employees.

Information used in this study was attained through a literature review, a survey of airport employees to identify their commuting methods and challenges, and interviews with airport staff to identify their employee challenges and approaches to solving commuter problems. Chapter 5 provides eight case examples that highlight unique issues and solutions that airports use to solve employee commuting challenges.

Daniel Prather, DPrather Aviation Solutions, Riverside, California, synthesized the information and wrote the report. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on page iv. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand.

CONTENTS

Summary

Chapter 1 Introduction

Synthesis Overview

Chapter 2 Synthesis Methodology

Literature Review

Recipients and Participants

Survey and Interview Methodology

Chapter 3 Literature Review

Ground Access

Environmental Sustainability

Transportation Demand Management

Transportation Management Association/Organization

Employee Commute Options

Disadvantages of Commuting

Balance of Utility

Me-Time/Benefits of Commuting

Active Commuting

Influencing Employee Commuting Behavior

Incentives and Disincentives

Employee Recruitment and Retention

Challenges in Providing Commuting Options

Summary

Chapter 4 Survey Results

Summary

Chapter 5 Case Examples

Case Example 1: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Case Example 2: General Edward Lawrence Logan Boston International Airport

Case Example 3: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Case Example 4: Denver International Airport

Case Example 5: Los Angeles International Airport

Case Example 6: Portland International Airport

Case Example 7: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Case Example 8: San Francisco International Airport

Chapter 6 Summary of Findings

Recommendations for Future Research

References

Glossary of Terms