ACRP IdeaHub Research Projects

The objective of this research is to understand the impacts, opportunities, and challenges of innovative and emerging mobility on intermodal passenger facilities (including airports, rail and bus transit stations, water transit, and mobility hubs) and to identify best practices for short-, medium-, and long- range planning considerations.

//PROJECT SUBMITTED TO ACRP, TCRP, AND NCHRP for Joint Funding//
Co-Sponsors:... more »

There has been much research conducted on developing regional and state

system plans but none on implementing them, tracking/impacting system

performance measures, conducting follow-on studies to support system

plan implementation, etc.

The proposed research project would evaluate carbon removal strategies that could be deployed at airports to help achieve "Net Zero Emissions" in order to align with global emission reduction targets and to address increasing public scrutiny. Carbon removal strategies include both natural (e.g., tree plantings and agricultural soil management) and technological approaches (e.g., carbon-absorbing concrete and direct air... more »

To develop carbon offset methodologies for both commercial and general aviation airports that generate revenue.

Guidance on holisitic master planning that goes beyond just future

facility and infrastructure that includes the sub categories such as IT,

Operations, Security and Maintenance as examples. It would also provide guidance on how to develop a "plan" for the ancillary operating areas and how important components may be rolled into a true master plan

Accurate predictions of the noise environment in communities surrounding airports and spaceports from launch and reentry vehicle operations require models that have been validated over a range of vehicle types, operations, and atmospheric conditions. Research is needed to validate the commercial space operations noise models developed under ACRP 02-66 using the community noise measurement database collected under ACRP... more »

Airports make a lot of investments in community/social/environmental causes, but how does an airport measure the investment to see if it's having an impact? Could it be a trust index or another measurement tool.

Research and develop a universal Aviation Symbol Signs System for the airport/travel sector that is comprehensive, rigorously tested, and industry accepted, as well as provide guidelines for their best use in airports. The focus will be on pedestrian wayfinding and safety related symbols. Process should be based on a global approach with U.S. airport application.

The objective is to produce an aviation symbol library... more »

With increasing passenger demands for personalization, accelerated movement towards a truly seamless journey, and airlines providing amenities throughout the passenger journey, airports are challenged to consistently and regularly measure the quality of the experience in their airports. While many other hospitality industries (hotels, airlines, sports) regularly measure their customer satisfaction, airports often lag... more »

Conduct research on airport noise and emissions regulations,

requirements, programs in place at U.S. airports, including the impetus

for each, legal authority and impact.

We propose an ACRP guidebook and associated tools to help airports plan and implement EV charging stations. Specific topics of the guidebook could include: station siting, codes and standards, costs and benefits, pricing electricity use, payment systems, future-proofing investments, ADA requirements, signage, and incorporation with airport emission goals and airport master plan.

Airport operations from the curbside to the airspace are increasingly relying on data. Airport operators and their stakeholders are procuring airport operations suites that do not necessarily talk to each other (even within the same stakeholder/entity). The purpose of the Airport Operational Databases (AODB) is to create an Airport Information Center integrating various operational data for making them available to a... more »

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a drastic reduction (in some cases over 95%) in air traffic operations at airports around the country. The only other time such extreme conditions occurred was after 9/11 (with three days of a total ground stop). The current situation presents an opportunity to collect significantly more data from a longer time period for both noise and air emissions to understand baselines, and the... more »

The objective of this research project is to develop more topic-specific in-depth training courses and materials to build upon the courses developed under the 02-61 project to create an "Airport Stormwater 201" curriculum.

Airports have for decades been managing and remediating contamination of soil and groundwater resulting from past practices. However, within the past two years airports have been surprised by a previously unrecognized environmental threat from a family of compounds found in firefighting foam known as perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). A synthesis study to provide necessary education on the subject is proposed. It is... more »