Survey of Large- and Medium-Hub Airports on Existing and Planned Bus and Rail Connections

Gao ID: GAO-05-738SP July 26, 2005

This document presents the results of GAO's survey of airport directors. The purpose of the survey was to determine the extent to which intermodal services and facilities have been developed at major U.S. airports. We developed the Web-based questionnaire and administered the survey to 72 airports from the 2003 Federal Aviation Administration's Air Carrier Activity Information System database. These airports accounted for approximately 90 percent of the enplanements for calendar year 2003, and consist of all 33 large hub, all 35 medium hub, and the 4 small hub airports that are located in the same metropolitan area as a large or medium hub airport. We asked airport officials about the local and nationwide bus and rail systems that are accessible to their airports by regular, fixed-route shuttle service, an automated people mover and/or walking. We also asked the airports if their capital improvement plan included proposals to enhance the airport's connections to local and nationwide transportation systems. We received responses from all 72 airports, resulting in a 100 percent response rate. A more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology is available in our report, "Intermodal Transportation: Potential Strategies Would Redefine Federal Role in Developing Airport Intermodal Capabilities." GAO-05-727 We conducted our work from July 2004 through July 2005 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.



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This document presents the results of GAO’s survey of airport directors. The purpose of the survey was to determine the extent to which intermodal services and facilities have been developed at major U.S. airports. We developed the Web-based questionnaire and administered the survey to 72 airports from the 2003 Federal Aviation Administration’s Air Carrier Activity Information System database. These airports accounted for approximately 90 percent of the enplanements for calendar year 2003, and consist of all 33 large hub, all 35 medium hub, and the 4 small hub airports that are located in the same metropolitan area as a large or medium hub airport. We asked airport officials about the local and nationwide bus and rail systems that are accessible to their airports by regular, fixed-route shuttle service, an automated people mover and/or walking. We also asked the airports if their capital improvement plan included proposals to enhance the airport’s connections to local and nationwide transportation systems. We received responses from all 72 airports, resulting in a 100 percent response rate. A more detailed discussion of our scope and methodology is available in our report, “Intermodal Transportation: Potential Strategies Would Redefine Federal Role in Developing Airport Intermodal Capabilities.” GAO-05-727 We conducted our work from July 2004 through July 2005 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.


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