DISCUSSION OF THE REPORTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL METROPOLITAN RAILWAYS COMMITTEE: (A) AIRPORT TO CITY COMMUNICATIONS

THE AUTHOR'S SUMMARY OF HIS PAPER PRESENTED TO THE FULL COMMISSION IS FOLLOWED BY DISCUSSION OF ISSUES RAISED THEREIN AND BY THE SET OF CONCLUSIONS ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSION IN REGARD TO TOPIC A. THE PAPER IS BASED ON A SURVEY OF 45 AIRPORTS, OF WHICH ONLY SEVEN WERE FOUND TO HAVE RAIL ACCESS. THE CONCLUSIONS WERE (1) AIRPORT ACCESS BY HIGHWAY IS ALREADY UNSATISFACTORY AND BECOMING WORSE. (2) ACCESS FROM THE CITY TO MAJOR METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS SHOULD INCLUDE RAIL. (3) DEVELOPMENT OF MAJOR NEW AIRPORTS SHOULD INCLUDE RAIL ACCESS IN THE PLANNING. (4) AIRPORTS CLOSE TO THE CITY MIGHT READILY BE SERVED BY A METRO TYPE LINK, WHILE THOSE FARTHER OUT PROBABLY REQUIRE DIRECT, HIGH-SPEED LINKS. (5) INTERNAL AIRPORT CIRCULATION IS RELATED TO AIRPORT ACCESS, AND BOTH PROBLEMS SHOULD BE VIEWED TOGETHER. (6) BAGGAGE HANDLING, WHILE A COMPLEX PROBLEM, IS NOT A VERY IMPORTANT ONE AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DELAY CONSTRUCTION OF A RAIL LINE. (7) CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR AN AIRPORT LINK SHOULD BE PAID FROM PUBLIC FUNDS, WHILE INTERNAL CIRCULATION SHOULD BE PAID FOR IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER AIRPORT FACILITIES. (8) MANY CITIES OR REGIONS ARE SERVED BY MORE THAN ONE MAJOR AIRPORT, AND INTERAIRPORT COMMUNICATION THEN BECOMES A PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE STUDIED IN RELATION TO THE CITY -- AIRPORT PROBLEM.