Table Of Contents - Chicago Transit Authority

CTA Express Airport Train Service Business Plan
The overlap among the two major dimensions provides a further segmentation of the potential market for
premium airport services. 57% of non-business travelers are visitors, with 43% being residents. A more
substantial majority (71%) of business travelers are visitors, leaving 29% identified as residents.
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Figure 3: Daily Originating and Ending Passengers - 2003
non-business
traveler
breakdown
Visitors
Residents
57% 43%
Source: Wilbur Smith Associates, 2004.
Market Segments and Mode Choice:
Daily Originating/Ending Passengers
at O'Hare and Midway, 2003
Non-Business
Travelers
percent (100% = 37,458 passengers)
43%
57%
Business
Travelers
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
business
traveler
breakdown
Visitors
Residents
71% 29%
Analysis of data from the Wilbur Smith study revealed mode choice tendencies across the market
segments discussed above. For all segments except residents, taxi is the most used option. Visitors and
business travelers display very similar choices, suggesting that when residents travel on business they
tend to behave more like visitors. CTA service is the third most used option for each of the four
segments, recording 20% usage among residents; 16% among non-business; and 11% each for visitors
and business travelers.
• Residents - Residents as a group are more knowledgeable of local airport access options, prices,
and trade-offs. In the long term, their choices reflect more complete information into their decisionmaking.
They will be able to make access choices that incorporate time of day, seasonality, local
construction, and pricing changes. This group may also hold strong perceptions for or against a
certain mode. Additionally, those who have cars will have the option to drive and park at the airport.
According to the Wilbur Smith study, 27% of residents drove and parked at the airport; 22% took a
taxi; 20% used CTA service; and 16% were dropped off. Other means of private and public
transportation accounted for the remaining 15%, with no residents using rental cars. These statistics
are represented in Figure 4 below.
• Visitors - Non-residents are less familiar with local options and are often less able to make a fully
informed decision. They are inclined to make choices for which they have a reference point. For
example, a visitor who is from a city that does not have a rail system is less likely to consider a rail
option when in a new city.
Figure 4 shows that 42% of visitors used taxis for airport access. Twenty-four percent used some
form of private transportation. Another 30% split their options roughly even between renting, being
37