Planning Partnership: Support for the PHX Sky Train

摘要

The PHX Sky Train is an extremely challenging and exciting project. Appropriately planning for a project of this magnitude required a "Planning Partnership" between the airport staff and the consultant design team. This paper focuses on the planning efforts and highlights improvements to the planning process resulting in increased support for the PHX Sky Train design. This paper summarizes the planning activities leading up to the selection of the APM alternative. A multi-modal simulation tool replicated the existing airport landside and evaluated alternatives. The calibration process essential in establishing the basis for the partnership and consensus building on the planning efforts for APM alternatives is discussed and presented. Alternatives, both with and without the APM system, were evaluated addressing specific challenges unique to PHX. The results were tailored to meet the airport's specific need of communicating across a large and diverse audience. The paper concludes with lessons learned and benefits realized.