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Toronto (April 26, 2019) – According to a new research study conducted by Dillon Consulting, 41 per cent of travellers walk, bike, use public transit or take the complimentary airport shuttle from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, representing one of the highest overall percentages of non-automobile use at any airport in North America. Further, the 2018 survey data shows a 52 per cent increase in non-automobile usage at the airport over the last five years, compared with the 27 per cent of non-automobile usage recorded at the airport in 2013. The survey also indicates that only 2 per cent of passengers drive and park at the airport.
Many of the airport’s 2.8 million passengers choose Billy Bishop Airport for its convenient, walkable location to/from downtown Toronto, as well as for its interconnectivity to regional transit. In fact, the Dillon Report indicates that 29 per cent of passengers depart Billy Bishop Airport via the complimentary airport shuttle to access Toronto’s Union Station, which highlights the important role the airport plays in not only connecting people to the heart of downtown Toronto but in providing convenient access to the region’s broader transportation network.
The study also shows that the Billy Bishop Airport pedestrian tunnel continues to have a positive impact on dispersing passenger and vehicle traffic flow at the airport. The tunnel, which connects passengers to the airport from the mainland pavilion, not only provides convenient and efficient access to the airport but plays a vital role in significantly reducing surges in traffic demand at the mainland terminal and along Eireann Quay that were evident prior to the tunnel opening in 2015.
“By investing in major city-building infrastructure such as the award-winning pedestrian tunnel, and fostering an ideal environment for ‘green’ airport access with conveniently-located bike stations, complimentary shuttle service to and from Union Station and collaborating with the City of Toronto to further improve access to Eireann Quay, PortsToronto continues to implement innovative measures to both reduce emissions and ease vehicle traffic around the airport,” said Gene Cabral, Executive Vice President, Billy Bishop Airport. “We are proud to see so many of our passengers opting to walk, bike and use other environmentally-friendly modes of transportation to and from Billy Bishop Airport. The positive results in this study not only demonstrate our continued commitment to easing congestion, operating sustainably and encouraging cleaner alternative means to and from the airport but speak to the important role Billy Bishop Airport plays in connecting people to the region’s broader transit network.”
The study conducted by Dillon Consulting was undertaken in June 2018 during airport peak hours and focussed on conditions related to traffic volumes, modal splits and taxi occupancy levels for travel to and from the airport. Further, the data gathered in this report will assist PortsToronto in the measurement of future conditions and continuous improvement related to traffic volumes.
Currently, a new reconfigured approach to passenger and vehicle traffic operations is in place as part of a pilot project that began in December 2018. In 2019, the impact and efficacy of the reconfiguration will be evaluated to assess improvements to traffic flow in the vicinity of Eireann Quay and potential full-time adoption of the program.
Click
here to view the Dillon Report.
About Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (https://www.billybishopairport.com)
Offering service to more than 20 cities in Canada and the U.S., with connection opportunities to more than 80 international destinations via our airlines’ networks, Billy Bishop Airport is an important international gateway and a key driver to Toronto’s economy, generating more than $470 million in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year and supporting 4,740 jobs, including 2,080 directly associated with the airport operations. Billy Bishop Airport is renowned for its unique travel experience, efficiency and customer service and has won a series of passenger-driven awards, including being named one of the top airports globally and in North America in both the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Service Quality Awards and Skytrax World Airport Awards. Billy Bishop Airport has also been ranked as the fourth Best International Airport by Condé Nast Traveler and has ranked top ten on Private Fly’s list for Most Scenic Airport Approaches in the world for five consecutive years.
About PortsToronto (https://www.portstoronto.com)
For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed 2.8 million passengers in 2018; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Marine Terminal 52, which provides transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $11 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.
About Dillon Consulting http://www.dillon.ca
Dillon Consulting is an employee-owned professional firm specializing in planning, engineering, environmental science and management that partners with clients to provide committed collaborative and inventive solutions to complex, multi-faceted problems. Proudly Canadian since being founded in 1946 in London, Ontario, we work with clients that require transportation systems that move people in a way that uses our resources efficiently, minimizes the impact on our environment and is adaptable to change. We understand that good planning solutions require an understanding of both human nature and engineering and that it is these complex systems that are the backbone of our cities.
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Media Contact:
Sarah Sutton
Manager, Communications
PortsToronto
Cell: (647) 298-0544
E-mail:
ssutton@portstoronto.com