Rental Car Consolidated Busing Operations Analyses

In late 2005, JDA was selected by the rental car companies operating at Chicago's Midway International Airport (MDW) to provide bus operations planning services to assist them in determining the best strategy and plan for the development and operation of a common bus transportation system to service the new Consolidated Rental Car Facility at Chicago Midway Airport.

JDA will provide the rental car companies with the basic information and analysis required to make key decisions regarding the approach to implementing the common system.

This includes development of a preliminary service plan to identify the requirements of the common system including:

• Documenting the travel time of the dedicated bus route
• Documenting service standards regarding headways, operator performance and general vehicle requirements
• Development of a forecast of ridership.
• Calculation of fleet requirements using all of the information above, including various scenarios regarding vehicle size and type.
• Development of maintenance facility requirements, including the size of site required to accommodate storage and maintenance of the fleet and the approximate facility needs.
• Comparison of various equipment options and pros/cons as they relate to the MDW operations

The results of the JDA's efforts will provide a foster consensus amongst the rental car companies on the preferred implementation approach. JDA will clearly define an implementation timeline, tasks and responsibilities, and critical path issues, allowing the rental car companies to proceed with the implementation strategy in the most cost effective and efficient manner possible.

Security Checkpoint Layout/Analysis

Facility constraints, operational inefficiencies and uneven demand among the two security checkpoints at Chicago Midway Airport was causing significant passenger queues, delays and congestion in the terminal area. These impacts were compounded by competing space needs in the area of the security checkpoints for concessions, public restrooms and airline holdroom space. JDA managing partner Brad Jacobsen was asked to analyze the physical and operational aspects of the security checkpoints and develop alternative layouts, equipment requirements, and operational improvements that would improve the overall security process.

Working closely with airport staff, the airlines and security personnel and the FAA, several alternatives with varying operational and cost implications were developed. These alternatives included stacking and by-pass configurations, reconfiguring an adjacent restaurant seating area, relocating the security screening equipment into the ticket lobby, and modification of the terminal building to provide additional circulation area. Passenger flows, queuing, anticipated congestion, equipment requirements, future expansion potential and capital and operating costs were quantified and presented to the stakeholders for consideration. By presenting a balanced evaluation of a range of alternatives, the stakeholders reached consensus for certain physical and operational improvements. Several recommendations, including an additional magnetometer and x-ray unit, reconfiguration of both checkpoints and modified queuing areas were implemented as a result of this effort.

New Terminal Implementation Planning

In the 1990's, the original Midway Airport terminal and concourses were nearly fifty years old. Mr. Jacobsen led several planning efforts that evaluated the potential for expanding or renovating the facilities to meet the growing demand. However, in most cases, the proposed facility improvements were too cost-prohibitive for the temporary benefits they would provide. The City of Chicago recognized that the most cost-effective long-term solution was to build a new terminal. Through the eight-year planning, design, and construction process for the New Midway Terminal, Mr. Jacobsen has continued to help ensure the best possible terminal solutions were identified. His efforts have included:

Facility Planning - Initially, Mr. Jacobsen helped develop and evaluate the terminal, concourse and aircraft parking layouts. This included careful consideration of the airfield and airspace restrictions of the runways that were immediately adjacent to the terminal area. Once the preferred concept was agreed upon, Mr. Jacobsen was responsible for reviewing the construction phasing plans, focusing on airport and airline operations and key issue resolution. He was also asked by the Airport to identify and define interim and permanent expansion alternatives, including remote hardstand and bussing operations and building expansion plans to accommodate additional gates.

Common and Preferential Gate Scheduling - This included developing a preferential gate use policies and procedures document and monthly gate allocation schedules that reflected new, changed, and unavailable gates throughout each phase of construction. These efforts required close coordination with local airline representatives as well as corporate scheduling and properties representatives. Creative and flexible solutions provided the airport with a responsive front-line to the airline's demand for access to gates in a severely constrained environment. It also provided an established resource for purposes of marketing, competition planning, activity monitoring, and operational planning on the ramp and in the terminal.

Tenant Gate and Space Allocation - This included allocating and monitoring all airline exclusive and preferential space as well as concession, public, mechanical, and DOA space during each phase of construction. This information was collected and monitored using the client's preferred Microstation Geographics facility management software. The information generated and tracked by the system was useful in planning and design of various spaces, developing and modifying rates and charges, and re-allocating space throughout the phased opening of the facility.