Department Overview  

Copyright © 2001
Department of Transportation Studies
Texas Southern University

AIRPORT RELATED TRAFFIC AND MOBILE SOURCE EMISSION IMPLICATIONS

Principal Investigator:    Dr. Lei Yu

Sponsoring Agency:    Texas Department of Transportation 0-4317

Period:    September 1, 2001 ~ August 31, 2003

Research Abstract:

In the preceding half century, air transportation has grown to become an indispensable component of both the global economy and social interaction among large numbers of people around the world.  The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has projected an annual growth rate of 5 percent in worldwide traffic between 1999 and 2005 (ICAO Journal,1999).  Much of the expected growth in air traffic would generate additional service demands on airports– the point of transition between air transportation and surface modes of transportation for both passengers and cargo.  The projected growth can be expected to occur primarily at large commercial service airports in major metropolitan population centers whose transportation systems are already stressed.  Highway congestion around large metropolitan areas in FY 1999 caused an average of 9.2 hours of delay per passenger per year, and is expected to decrease in FY 2001 to 8.1 hours annually (GAO, 2000; Air Travel Consumer Report 2000; www.dot.gov/airconsumer).  The challenges created by the additional service demands that would result from the projected growth in worldwide air traffic, will be disproportionately concentrated at the world's largest airports.  As the state with the largest number of airports in the US, Texas has an obvious and rather important place in issues related to airports. 

The extant literature suggests ground transportation at airports is dominated by private transportation in privately owned automobiles that cause serious congestion on ingress and egress infrastructure within the airport terminal complex (Nettey, 1995; Lehrer and Freeman 1998). Such vehicular traffic and congestion in the airport terminal complex may constitute a rather significant generator of mobile source emissions worthy of examination.  Designation of several cities in Texas as non-attainment areas by the Environmental Protection Agency in concert with other federal agencies because of violations of air quality standards and regulations creates added urgency to issues related to emissions.  The existence of several metropolitan centers in Texas, and the unparalleled presence of several large commercial service airports amidst equally substantive numbers of general aviation and reliever airports in Texas, creates an appropriate laboratory for effective research in airport issues, especially those pertaining to airport-related traffic and mobile emission implications.

This research effort proposes to review available travel and vehicle-use data to commercial service and general aviation airports, and vehicle activity data within airports.  It will also develop an evaluation of the need for further study and present said evaluation to the RMC for consideration.  In its second year, this research effort proposes to collect additional data to supplement the available data on vehicle use at commercial service and general aviation airports.  This research effort will present the reviewed data to travel demand modelers at TxDOT, Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Houston-Galvseton MPOs.  As needed, this research will proceed to develop appropriate methodologies for (a) examining travel choices of air travelers (b) estimating the vehicle mix for travel to the airport (c) quantifying land-side traffic inputs for mobile source emissions analysis (d) modeling curb-side vehicle activity (e) analyzing parking-related characteristics, and (f) integrating the preceding methodologies into a comprehensive report that supports a systematic approach to analyzing and forecasting airport-related traffic which could be useful to mobile-source emission forecasting, as well as additional future research.

Research Information

For further information about the research, please contact Dr. Lei Yu by telephone at(713) 313-7282 or by e-mail at yu_lx@tsu.edu.