Airport Economic Impact Methods and Models (2008)

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28 APPENDIX A Survey Instruments USERS SURVEY S03-3 Survey for Users of Airport Economic Impact Studies (Airports and State/Regional Transportation Agencies) On behalf of the Transportation Research BoardÕs (TRB’s) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, a national engineering and aviation consulting firm, and RKG Associates, an economics and planning consulting firm, are conducting research on airport economic impact studies. The goal of the research is to determine the benefits and challenges of traditional airport economic impact studies, and how to address the shortcomings of these traditional methods. Another objective is to identify innovative models and methodologies or studies that have been found to be particularly effective in achieving their objectives. Additional information about this project is available at: http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1554. As someone who has either conducted, reviewed, or sponsored an economic impact assessment for an airport or a group of airports, we would like to have your input on the extent of the assessment, the motivation for initiating the project, and the use of the final product. Please be assured that your responses will be kept in strictest confidence, to be aggregated with all other responses. The survey is designed so that you do not need to complete it all at once. It is possible to exit the survey and resume where you left off at a later date. However, you will be required to log back in with your username and password. In appreciation for your time in completing this survey, we will make the final research report of this survey available to you. In addition, your name will be entered into a drawing for a hand- painted and detailed 1/32-sized mahogany model of Charles Lindbergh’s airplane, The Spirit of St. Louis (measuring 171/2 in. long; 171/2 in. wingspan). The model comes ready to display on a mahogany base. 1) Please indicate the state in which your airport(s) or the airport you studied is located? 2) Please indicate the number of years of experience that you have in the aviation industry: 3) Please indicate the nature of your current involvement with the airport(s) or airport system: ____ Local government ____ State government ____ Federal government ____ Airport commission/authority ____ Airport management ____ Consultant ____ Other (please specify): __________________________________________________

29 4) How familiar are you with airport economic impact studies? ____ Not familiar ____ Somewhat familiar ____ Familiar ____ Very familiar 5) How many airport economic impact studies have you been involved with (completed, sponsored, supervised, reviewed, etc.) over the past 10 years? ____ None ____ 5 or less ____ 6 to 10 ____ 11 to 20 ____ More than 20 6) Please indicate the intended audience(s) of the studies you have been involved with (select all that apply): ____ Government agency ____ Citizens/residents ____ Planning agency ____ Fixed-base operator ____ Airport management ____ Other (please specify): __________________________________________________ 7) Please indicate the reason(s) airport economic impact studies were initiated (select all that apply): ____ To justify airport investment/expansion ____ To determine allocation of matching funds ____ To formulate economic development/planning initiative ____ It was an academic initiative ____ To supplement the airport system plan ____ To measure significance of airport to specific industries ____ To obtain financial support from other municipalities or from county/region level ____ To measure significance of the airport(s) to the local community ____ Other (please specify): __________________________________________________ 8) Please indicate the variables measured or estimated in the airport economic impact studies in which you have been involved (select all that apply): ____ Wages ____ Employment ____ Cargo tonnage ____ Tourism ____ Air traffic levels ____ Time savings ____ Local/regional spending ____ Military/emergency services ____ Other (please specify): __________________________________________________ 9) Please rank the usefulness of the methodologies that were used in the airport economic impact studies. Extremely Very Not Very Not Used Not Useful Useful Useful Useful In Study Applicable 9.1) Economic input–output model [e.g., direct, indirect, induced multiplier, or Regional Input–Output Modeling System (RIMS)] 9.2) Qualitative survey (survey of airport users, passengers, etc.)

30 9.3) Community benefits 9.4) What-if analyses Additional comments: 10) Did the airport economic impact study(ies) attempt to capture any of the following trends in aviation (select all that apply)? ____ Growth of air freight ____ Development of international gateways ____ Non-aviation commercial development attracted to the vicinity of the airport ____ Use of air transportation in supply chains and just-in-time delivery ____ Reliance on aviation by specific industries, such as R&D, biotech, banking, universities, etc. ____ Growth in business aviation/emergence of fractional ownership ____ Consolidation and globalization ____ Emergence of very light jets ____ None of the above ____ Other (please specify): __________________________________________________ 11) How would you rate the airport economic impact studies that you have been involved with in terms of the validity of the results and the methodology? ____ Not valid ____ Somewhat valid ____ Valid ____ Very valid Additional comments: 12) How would you rate the studies in terms of impact and utility (i.e., how successful was it in meeting its objectives)? ____ Not useful ____ Somewhat useful ____ Useful ____ Very useful Additional comments: 13) What methods were used to disseminate the results (select all that apply)? ____ Technical reports ____ Summary or executive reports ____ Brochures for public distribution ____ Presentations ____ Web-based products ____ Video ____ Other (please specify): _______________________________________________ 14) If presentations were used to disseminate the results, please indicate type(s) of audience. 15) Was there any follow-up done to the studies in terms of ongoing assessment or validation? ____ Yes ____ No Additional comments: 16) In your opinion, how often are the results of airport economic impact studies used as a factor in encouraging substantive change (encourage airport investment, changing airport policy, suggest land use regulatory changes, etc.)? ____ Never ____ Sometimes ____ Frequently ____ Always

31 Additional comments: 17) In your opinion, what are the top three benefits of airport economic impact studies? 18) What are the top three constraints or disadvantages of airport economic impact studies? 19) What one thing would you suggest to improve the reliability or applicability of future airport economic impact studies? 20) Please use this space to provide any additional comments regarding airport economic impact studies. 21) All survey recipients will receive an electronic copy of the final study. Please provide a mailing address if you also would like a printed copy mailed to you. Name: _____________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________ City, State, and Zip Code: ______________________________________ Thank you for your assistance in completing this survey. Your responses will help provide insights into how to better analyze the economic impact of airports.

32 AUTHOR’S SURVEY S03-3 Survey for Authors of Airport Economic Impact Studies (Airports and State/Regional Transportation Agencies) On behalf of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB’s) Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, a national engineering and aviation consulting firm, and RKG Associates, an economics and planning consulting firm, are conducting research on airport economic impact studies. The goal of the research is to determine the benefits and challenges of traditional airport economic impact studies, and how to address the shortcomings of these traditional methods. Another objective is to identify innovative models and methodologies or studies that have been found to be particularly effective in achieving their objectives. Additional information about this project is available at: http://www.trb.org/TRBNet/ProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=1554. As someone who has completed or authored an economic impact assessment for an airport or a group of airports, we would like to have your input on the extent of the assessment, the motivation for initiating the project, and the use of the final product. Please be assured that your responses will be kept in strictest confidence, to be aggregated with all other responses. The survey is designed so that you do not need to complete it all at once. It is possible to exit the survey and resume where you left off at a later date. However, you will be required to log back in with your username and password. In appreciation for your time in completing this survey, we will make the final research report of this survey available to you. In addition, your name will be entered into a drawing for a hand- painted and detailed 1/32-sized mahogany model of Charles Lindbergh’s airplane, The Spirit of St. Louis (measuring 171/2 in. long; 171/2 in. wingspan). The model comes ready to display on a mahogany base. 1) Please indicate the state in which your airport(s) or the airport you studied is located? 2) Please indicate the number of years of experience that you have in the aviation industry: 3) How familiar are you with airport economic impact studies? ____ Not familiar ____ Somewhat familiar ____ Familiar ____ Very familiar 4) How many airport economic impact studies have you been involved with (completed, sponsored, supervised, reviewed, etc.) over the past 10 years? ____ None ____ 5 or less ____ 6 to 10 ____ 11 to 20 ____ More than 20 5) Please indicate the intended audience(s) of the studies you have been involved with (select all that apply): ____ Government agency ____ Citizens/residents ____ Planning agency ____ Fixed-base operator ____ Airport management ____ Other (please specify): _______________________________________________

33 6) Please indicate the reason(s) airport economic impact studies were initiated (select all that apply): ____ To justify airport investment/expansion ____ To determine allocation of matching funds ____ To formulate economic development/planning initiative ____ It was an academic initiative ____ To supplement the airport system plan ____ To measure significance of airport to specific industries ____ To obtain financial support from other municipalities or from county/region level ____ To measure significance of the airport(s) to the local community ____ Other (please specify): _______________________________________________ 7) Please indicate the variables measured or estimated in the airport economic impact studies in which you have been involved (select all that apply): ____ Wages ____ Employment ____ Cargo tonnage ____ Tourism ____ Air traffic levels ____ Time savings ____ Local/regional spending ____ Military/emergency services ____ Other (please specify): ________________________________________________ 8) Please rank the usefulness of the methodologies that were used in the airport economic impact studies. Not Not Extremely Very Useful Very Used In NotUseful Useful Useful Study Applicable 8.1) Economic input–output model [e.g., direct, indirect, induced multiplier, or Regional Input–Output Modeling System (RIMS)] 8.2) Qualitative survey (survey of airport users, passengers, etc.) 8.3) Community benefits 8.4) What-if analyses Additional comments: 9) Please list the types of data sources that you typically use for developing airport economic impact studies. 10) Of the data sources identified in Question 9, what were the benefits of using those data sources? 11) Of the data sources identified in Question 9, what were the disadvantages of using those data sources? 12) Please list the data sources, if any, that you would have liked to have utilized for airport economic impact studies, but were unavailable. For Questions 13–18, please pick a single study that you believe is representative of your experience in the field. ____ Growth of air freight ____ Development of international gateways ____ Non-aviation commercial development attracted to the vicinity of the airport ____ Use of air transportation in supply chains and just-in-time delivery

34 ____ Reliance on aviation by specific industries, such as R&D, biotech, banking, universities, etc. ____ Growth in business aviation/emergence of fractional ownership ____ Consolidation and globalization ____ Emergence of very light jets ____ None of the above ____ Other (please specify): _____________________________________________ 13) Did the study attempt to capture any of the following trends in aviation (select all that apply)? 14) In retrospect, how would you rate the study in terms of the validity of the results and the methodology? ____ Not valid ____ Somewhat valid ____ Valid ____ Very valid Additional comments: 15) Was there any follow-up done to the study in terms of on-going assessment or validation? ____ Yes ____ No Additional comments: 16) If yes, what assessment/validation efforts were undertaken? 17) How would you rate the studies in terms of impact and utility (i.e., how successful was it in meeting its objectives)? ____ Not useful ____ Somewhat useful ____ Useful ____ Very useful Additional comments: 18) What methods were used to disseminate the results (select all that apply)? ____ Technical reports ____ Summary or executive reports ____ Brochures for public distribution ____ Presentations ____ Web-based products ____ Video ____ Other (please specify): ______________________________________________ 19) If presentations were used to disseminate the results, please indicate type(s) of audience. 20) In your opinion, how often are the results of the airport economic impact studies used as a factor in encouraging substantive change (encourage airport investment, changing airport policy, suggest land use regulatory changes, etc.)? ____ Never ____ Sometimes ____ Frequently ____ Always 21) In your opinion, what are the top three benefits of airport economic impact studies? 22) What are the top three constraints or disadvantages of airport economic impact studies? 23) What one thing would you suggest to improve the reliability or applicability of future airport economic impact studies?

35 24) All survey recipients will receive an electronic copy of the final study. Please provide a mailing address if you also would like a printed copy mailed to you. Name: _____________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________ City, State, and Zip Code: ______________________________ Thank you for your assistance in completing this survey. Your responses will help provide insights into how to better analyze the economic impact of airports.