GCC: NREL study focuses on growing use and impacts of ride-hailing services at airports

. . . In a new study, NREL researchers focused on the key observability aspects of new modes and the rate of shifts in mobility patterns across airports in the regions of San Francisco, Portland, Denver, and Kansas City—all US DOT Smart City Challenge finalists. . . .

• The revenue data associated with major transportation hubs, such as airports, signal critical shifts in the adoption of new mobility options, such ride-hailing to and from airports, as opposed to using personal vehicles. The increasing use of ride-hailing services has major implications for transportation, energy use, revenues, and future infrastructure.
  
  —Josh Sperling, NREL co-author

The use of ride-hailing service companies, also referred to as transportation network companies (TNCs), continues to grow—comprising up to 18% of all passenger ground transportation to and from airports.

Additionally, the need for airport parking no longer directly reflects growth in the number of airport passengers. Rather, parking revenues per passenger peaked about 12 to 24 months after the introduction of TNCs, and steadily declined thereafter. Initial findings from the four airports considered in the study show an annualized declining rate range of 3% to 7%.

• Continuing this trend would mean that airport parking demand could be cut in half in about 14 years. While this can be viewed as a declining revenue base, it could also enable airport growth without additional parking infrastructure investments, freeing up airport property for other uses. It also allows for new revenue streams—airports implementing a TNC fee for ride-hailing pick-ups and drop-offs are seeing an uptick, with Denver and San Francisco earning upwards of $600,000 to $2 million a month in new service-fee revenue.
  
  —Alejandro Henao, NREL postdoc

The trends observed from airport data provide an early glance into the rapid adoption of new mobility services. Airport revenue streams shed light on transportation mode shifts in urban areas and provide insight into future demand for parking infrastructure.

Total parking revenue has peaked, and growth in parking demand is not tracking with growth in air travel, with ride-hailing being a major contributor to the shift. As a result, curb demand, rather than parking demand, is a factor in accommodating increased air travel. . . .

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Airport Analyses Informing New
Mobility Shifts: Opportunities to
Adapt Energy-Efficient Mobility
Services and Infrastructure

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