Comprehensive Ground Transportation Study

Location

New Orleans, LA

Service Area

Planning & Development

Woman waving at someone outside an airport.

Project Brief

In 2018, the New Orleans Aviation Board retained InterVISTAS to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the ground transportation facilities associated with the construction of a new terminal building.

The new terminal design includes complex roadway geometry and the inclusion of a central roundabout, which most Airport traffic will pass through. For the first several years, the terminal will be accessed using key roadway arterials for the Kenner, LA community, resulting in concerns about neighborhood traffic and the Airport’s impact on the local community.

Approach

Extensive traffic simulation of the regional arterials, on-Airport roadways, and curbsides were conducted. Several improvements were identified and implemented during construction.

The analyses took into account the growth of TNCs, the trends in per-passenger demand for other ground transportation facilities, and the uncertainty regarding the effect of disruptive technologies such as autonomous vehicles. TNC pick-ups at MSY occur in their garage.

Results

The impact of TNCs and eventual impact of autonomous vehicles were key elements of the analyses. Analyses were focused on near-term (0-5 years) operations, but also included analyses of long-term (20 years) roadway and curbside operations. Planning analyses were also conducted for surface parking lots, wayfinding/signage plans, and shuttle routes to the existing terminal campus.