Airport Toll Roads

I read Aerotropolis, by Kasarda. Kasarda speaks of the importance of surface transportation access to airports.  Kasarda once missed a plane, while waiting in traffic within walking distance of the airport. The fundamental premise of an airport is that time is valuable (else you'd go by some other mode). Where the time-savings occurs doesn't matter--it can be on the airplane (by making the airplane faster) or on the ground, by making access to the airport faster.

For cars on a highway, the main source of delay is congestion. One commonly advocated solution to congestion is 'congestion pricing'. Ie, 'surge' pricing, except for road-space rather than cars. When the road is not congested, driving on it is free. But the more demand for road space there is (and the more congested things get) the higher the price you pay for road space.

Reading up on Dulles Airport, which is accessed by the Dulles Toll Road, and the idea is much on my mind: running a road like an airport. When the demand is low, prices are low to fill the seats. But when demand is high, the price rises, and only travelers who really need the speed are willing to pay for it.

Makes me wonder if we couldn't make congestion pricing more acceptable by introducing 'bereavement fares'--if you have to fly, on zero notice, because someone died, the airlines charge you the ticket price as if had been bought 3 weeks ago. Be nice to offer that for congestion tolls--if it was an emergency, the charge is negated.

Regarding "Airports and the Wealth of Cities"

Airports and the Wealth of Cities

If passengers is significant, but number of flights is not, that implies that success lies in having larger than average planes come in. Ie, a hub airport. Assuming that the the cost of flying is proportional to the square of size, while the passenger capacity is proportionate to the cube, larger planes offer lower seat-costs per passenger. Hence, the use of larger planes may also imply that the average seat-price to visit such an airport is lower. Status as a 'hub' airport also offers substantial accessibility benefits: More flights to more places, at greater frequencies, than for non-hub airports (ie, San Diego).

On Union Stations and Airports

Not sure why Americans are so into 'Union Station'. You see it in both railroads and airports. Why make multiple operators cluster together in a single location? The Union Station is a particularly American phenomena: A place where all the trains comes together. A 'union station' is nice if you are transferring between trains, or between different types of trains.It makes sense to connect the commuter rail network to the rapid transit network. But when a station is just a terminal for a particular transportation provider, why bother? Why spend all the money to aggregate it all together in a centralized location? Paris, London, Barcelona: They all have multiple passenger railroad terminals: each major provider built their own. It's worth noting, in America, that 'Union Stations' are always a civic project. And I feel I must suggest that such civic projects are a form of white elephant: a yearning for an intermodal 'Grand Central Terminal' that is neither intermodal, nor central? But only 'grand' and 'a terminal'.

Which brings to mid the question of airports: Why do we need to have a 'Grand Central Airport'? Airports with non automobile access are in the minority--only a handful have passenger rail. Providing road access (even a divided highway) to multiple airports is certainly feasible.

Why do we connect airlines to other airlines? Why shouldn't each airline have its own airport, in the way in which passenger railroads once had their own terminals. Endlessly expanding existing airports is costly: The older the airport, the more likely the land around it is urbanized, and the more difficult to expand the airport. Also the more likely that the existing airport property is already developed, and adding new airport facilities (terminals, hangers, shopping) requires demolishing existing structures, like trying to add a new couch in a small apartment.

Admittedly, it makes some sense to combine multiple airlines into a single airport: They can enjoy the agglomeration economy of sharing a bit of infrastructure no single airline could afford on its own: The runways. (And to a lesser extent consumer facilities like baggage handling and rental car stands).

But is that always worth it? The mayor of Houston (IIRC) recently said: "Great American Cities have multiple airports". There is a reason for that: There is no reason to centralize all the airlines into a single airport, especially if that airport is running up against capacity constraints.

Finally, LAX gets fixed guideway transit

LAX Breaks Ground on Automated People Mover

The 2.25-mile system will link the central terminal area with ground transportation facilities - including Metro Rail.

Bit of a shame that the US's two biggest airports can't get it together when it comes to transit to the airport. LaGuardia doesn't have rail access, JFK relies on the AirTrain. Looks like Newark has transit access, but I'm uncertain of the quality. You'd think, when you have high-speed infrastructure people play hundreds of dollars per hour (and thousands per trip) that that the access to said infrastructure might get beefed up a bit. A minute on the plane is the same as a minute on train. Which perfectly explains why no one takes the train to/from: You take a taxi, a limo, an, uber, a lyft.

Reading Aerotropolis, really drove home the importance of aerolanes and aerotrains to me. But if you want people to use it, it has to be superior to the alternative. And that means faster. If you've got separated guideway, free from congestion, that shouldn't be hard. But it seems to happen, which seems to suggest that the people building these rail lines are squandering that competitive advantage--giving in and accepting minutes of delay, rather than taking the fight to desperation levels, to achieve what matters---speed.

In a way, the aeroplane is like a streetcar. Or rather, like an old-school commuter railroad. Providing CBD access to the affluent 'executive class' of managers and professionals.