Assessing airport ground access by public transport: a network modeling and simulation approach

This thesis investigates airport accessibility by analyzing public transport ground access connections to and from Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport. The study examines how passengers may choose among alternative public transport options based on travel time, cost, service frequency and reliability. The objective is to evaluate how airport ground accessibility changes under different operational scenarios and to compare the performance of alternative public transport services in terms of travel time, cost, and reliability. The analysis was performed using PTV Visum, a macroscopic transportation planning and simulation software. Four public transport modes were modeled for airport access: two bus lines, automated people mover line, tram line. Routes, lines, zones, and stops were clearly defined for each mode. Furthermore, vehicle journeys were implemented using schedule-based programs based on real operational data, allowing the model to represent actual service conditions. Based on the annual passenger volume of Bologna Airport, a daily total departure-arrival (OD) matrix was developed to conduct analysis on a daily scale. A series of scenario-based simulations was performed to compare the performance of the defined public transport modes. The scenarios consider potential service disruptions, changes in service frequency, ticket prices, and vehicle capacity that could affect any of the analyzed routes. This approach allows for an evaluation of how different operational conditions affect passenger preferences and the overall efficiency of access to the airport via public transport.