Commercial Ground Transportation at Airports: Best Practices (2015)

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143 Glossary The following pages provide a glossary of terms used in this guidebook. Airport permit—A document creating a formal business agreement between the airport and a commercial ground transportation provider. By signing the permit, a provider agrees to abide by the airport’s operating rules and regula- tions and pay any fees specified in the permit to do business on the airport. Airport sponsor—The organization which owns and operates the airport, typically a city, county, or authority. Airporter—A scheduled bus, typically privately operated, providing point-to-point service between an airport and center city or other major destination. Alternative fuel—A fuel that produces lower emissions than gasoline or standard diesel thus having beneficial environ- mental effects. Such fuels may include biodiesel/clean diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), clean diesel, diesel/electric hybrids, gasoline hybrids, fuel cells, pure/plug-in electrics, and propane among others. Automatic vehicle identification (AVI)—A long-range radio- frequency identification (RFID) or microwave identifica- tion system that automatically identifies vehicles having vehicle-mounted transponders (or tags) as they enter and pass through the range of the AVI system reader (the read zone) without any action by the driver. The term can also be used to refer to the system that records the time the vehicle enters and exits the read zone, and summarizes the number of trips made by each operator. Base yard—The location, typically a surface lot, used to store out of service buses and/or other commercial vehicles. Vehicle maintenance and repair may also be performed in the base yard. Best practice—As used in this report, those innovative and creative practices which, if implemented, help achieve or support the relevant goals of airport management con- cerning commercial ground transportation services. These include a broad range of standards, strategies, rules and regulations, business practices, procurement methods, fees, operational models or methods, facility configurations, sup- porting technologies, and other programs used by airport operators to provide, monitor, control, regulate, and enforce commercial ground transportation services. Black car—A sedan used to provide door-to-door transpor- tation, typically a form of limousine. Bump-and-run operations—A dispatch pattern whereby a waiting courtesy vehicle (or other vehicle) remains at a curb- side pick-up location until another vehicle operated by the same provider arrives to take the place of the first vehicle. This assures that a courtesy vehicle is always waiting for arriving passengers. Chartered service—A transportation service that is provided on a prearranged basis where the company is compen- sated based upon the length of time the vehicle is hired regardless of the number of passengers transported or distance travelled. Most commonly this refers to chartered buses or vans. Chute—As used in this report, an area used to store a taxicab queue or queue of other vehicles waiting to be dispatched to the passenger boarding areas. Commercial ground transportation—Rubber-tired publicly and privately operated transportation service transporting customers to/from airports including taxicabs, limousines, shared-ride vans, courtesy vehicles, chartered buses and vans, but excluding rail service and parking shuttles, consolidated rental car shuttles, or other buses operated by or on behalf of the airport. Concession contract—A contract between an airport opera- tor or sponsor and a commercial ground transportation business whereby the airport provides the company or business certain rights or privileges (e.g., the exclusive or semi-exclusive right to offer a specific transportation service or use designated areas of the airport) and in turn the company agrees to pay the airport a fee which frequently A P P E N D I X B

144 involves an annual minimum guaranteed amount and/or an amount that reflects the volume of airport-related busi- ness conducted by the company (e.g., a percent of gross revenues). Concessionaire—A company or business that has entered into a concession contract (with an airport). Consortium—As used in this report, a group of businesses or individuals that have formed a joint business proposition or venture with an airport (e.g., a consortium of taxicab drivers or taxicab owners which has entered into a contract with an airport owner.) Cost-recovery fee—As used in this report, a fee charged to commercial vehicle operators doing business on an airport (i.e., picking up passengers) which allows the airport owner to recover its costs of providing, operating, and maintain- ing the roadways, curbsides, hold areas, and other facilities used directly by the commercial ground transportation operators. Most frequently such fees are determined based upon the operators’ use of airport facilities (e.g., calculated according to the number of airport trips made by each operator) and may be referred to as per-trip fees, gate fees, or AVI fees (as an AVI system is often used to monitor the volume of trips). Courtesy vehicle—Door-to-door, shared-ride transporta- tion provided solely for their customers by the operators of hotels/motels, rental car companies, parking lots, and other businesses. The customers are not charged a fare as the cost of such service is considered to be incidental to the primary service offered the customer. Deadhead trip—A nonrevenue trip which occurs prior to picking up a customer or after dropping off a passenger. Deplaned passengers—Passengers that alighted from an air- craft at an airport, including both connecting and terminat- ing airline passengers. Disadvantaged business—The definition of a disadvantaged business varies from community to community but typi- cally includes minority owned, women-owned, or small locally owned businesses that have been certified by a state or other agency. Dispatcher—As used in this report, an individual responsible for the proper sequencing of waiting taxicabs or other vehi- cles, assuring the waiting vehicles and drivers are in com- pliance with airport rules and regulations, and responsible for assigning a customer to the correct vehicle. Sometimes referred to as a starter. Double parking—A condition in which two or more vehicles are parallel parked or stopped adjacent to one another along the curbside roadway. Dwell time—The total time a vehicle spends at the terminal curbside while waiting for a passenger to arrive or to actively load or unload. Economically regulate—The ability of a state or local regula- tory body to authorize a license for a company to operate, set its rates (either maximum, minimum, or exact rates), and issue directives about operational practices and vehicle safety standards. Enplaned passengers—Passengers who boarded an aircraft at an airport, including both connecting and originating airline passengers. Focus group—A form of qualitative marketing research, where a group of 6 to 10 people are interviewed at the same time (as opposed to a one-on-one interview) about their attitudes toward a product, service, concept, advertisement, idea or packaging. A focus group moderator asks the group questions in an interactive group setting that allows par- ticipants to talk with other group members. Frequently, focus groups are conducted in a setting that allows others to observe the participants as they respond to questions. For-hire transportation—A vehicle such as a taxicab or lim- ousine which transports one or more passenger(s) between locations of the passenger’s choice on an on-demand or prearranged basis as opposed to scheduled vehicles oper- ated along fixed routes. Headway—The time interval between one vehicle and the next vehicle arriving at a station or boarding point on a scheduled, fixed route. High occupancy vehicle (HOV)—Typically considered any vehicle transporting more than one or two people. This standard HOV definition may not be applicable for airport transportation planning and operations, however. Instead HOV may be defined as the use of public transit, sched- uled buses/vans, shared-ride vans or other multi-passenger vehicles rather than vehicles transporting a single airline passenger. Hold area—An area designated for use by commercial vehicles such as taxicabs, limousines, shared-ride vans, and buses/ vans to wait in (or stage) until they are called to the curbside. Improper solicitation—As used in this report, improperly or illegally offering for-hire transportation services to passengers at an airport (e.g., in the baggage claim area). Most frequently this occurs when licensed and unlicensed limousine drivers (or their representatives) solicit business directly from passengers who have not made prior arrange- ments for such service. Invitation to bid—Documents describing requested services or products to be furnished, information to be contained in a bid, the required format and due date, and the form of the bids. Large-hub airport—Per FAA, an airport with 1% or more of all annual passenger boardings in the United States. Licensed enforcement officer (LEO)—As used in this guide, a licensed police officer monitoring airport facilities who, among other duties and responsibilities, is capable of

145 a vehicle or owner of a vehicle with a customer seeking transportation or to hire the vehicle. Prearranged service—Transportation service (e.g., limou- sine or bus/van service) that is provided in response to a prior request as opposed to on-demand service. Often the limousine or bus/van driver will have a waybill showing the customer’s name, party size, destination, flight number and arrival time, and other details. The precise definition of prearranged varies from community to community. Privilege fee—As used in this report, a fee charged commercial vehicle operators that reflects the overall business benefits the commercial ground transportation operators receive and privileges they enjoy as a result of the presence of the entire airport and from the operators’ access to the trav- eling public. Typically such fees are calculated based on the volume of airport-related business conducted by the operator. Request for qualifications (RFQ)—A type of solicitation in which an organization interested in procuring services asks outside vendors to provide a summary of their qualifications and experience performing these services. Request for proposals (RFP)—A type of solicitation in which an organization interested in procuring services asks outside vendors to submit competitive proposals containing their approach, qualifications, and fees. Also known as Request for Tenders. Scheduled service—Fixed route transportation operated at set headways or departure times Semi-exclusive contract—A concession contract that is awarded to multiple providers all offering the same service. Shared-ride service—A service providing door-to-door trans- portation for multiple customers or parties to or from an airport whereby each passenger pays a predetermined fare regardless of the number of passengers transported or dis- tance travelled. The service, most commonly provided in 8 to 12 passenger vans, may make multiple enroute stops and may be available on a walk-up or pre-reserved basis. Small-hub airport—Per FAA, an airport with at least 0.05% but less than 0.25% of all annual passenger boardings in the United States. Staging area—(See hold area) Taxicab—A vehicle—typically a sedan or van—providing nonstop, door-to-door transportation for a single party (one or more passengers) between locations of the pas- senger’s choice with the fare established based upon a taximeter or zone system regardless of the number of pas- sengers transported. The precise definitions for taxicabs, taxicab companies, and taxicab drivers vary from commu- nity to community. Traffic control officer (TCO)—An enforcement officer capa- ble of issuing tickets only for nonmoving violations but not arresting an offender issuing tickets for moving violations and other activities, and arresting offenders. Limousine—Transportation service offered in town cars or luxury vehicles on a prearranged basis and where the provider is compensated based upon the length of time the vehicle is hired regardless of the number of passengers transported or distance traveled. Livery service—An on-demand form of door-to-door transportation that is limited to responding only to radio dispatch calls and charges an agreed upon price rather than a time and distance based metered fare. Medium-hub airport—Per FAA, an airport with at least 0.25% but less than 1% of all annual passenger boardings in the United States. Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)—The local agency responsible for the Transportation Improvement Plan, which prioritizes regional investments in transpor- tation infrastructure. The local MPO is also responsible for documenting the local goals and policies governing these priorities including those related to the environment and sustainability. Minimum annual guarantee (MAG)—The minimum fee or amount that a business or concessionaire agrees to pay on an annual basis regardless of the revenues collected or business volume conducted. A similar fee may instead be assessed on a monthly basis as a minimum monthly guarantee (MMG). Model year—The year specified by an automobile manufac- turer for that vehicle model Mystery rider—A person who evaluates a commercial ground transportation service surreptitiously posing as a customer. Also known as mystery shopping or mystery shopping service. Non-hub airport—Per FAA, an airport with at least 2,500 and no more than 10,000 annual passenger boardings. O&D (origin and destination)—Airline passengers who began (or will end) their trip at this airport as opposed to those passengers who are connecting from (or to) another flight. On-demand service—Transportation service (e.g., taxicab service) that is provided in direct response to a customer’s request via telephone, street hail, or in some communities a smartphone application or other form of communication as opposed to prearranged transportation service. Owner-operator—As used in this report, an individual who both owns and operates a vehicle (e.g., a taxicab driver who owns a taxicab and drives the vehicle). Frequently owner/ operators may operate a vehicle as a franchisee, or as part of a fleet owned/controlled by others. Peer-to-peer services—Services that are shared among users rather than owned by a company. As used in this report it refers to a business that seeks to connect the operator of

146 with passengers desiring door-to-door transportation who have requested this service using the business’ proprietary smartphone application. The fare is typically established based upon time and distance traveled. Service may be nonstop or shared with another party depending on the type of service selected. Transponder—As used in this guide, transponder refers to a vehicle-mounted automatic vehicle identification (AVI) system tag or device that emits a signal detected by readers. (See automatic vehicle identification.) Transportation network company (TNC)—A business that connects its affiliated drivers, using their personal vehicles,