An airport is not only an important transport node, but also functions as a growth pole that attracts many airport-related activities to locate in the vicinity of the airport. In September 1998, The Netherlands' Ministry of Transport published a report that gives insights into the complex inter-relations between airport development and surface transport planning. The conclusion was that landside accessibility to the national airport Schiphol should be guaranteed to ensure its efficient functioning as a Mainport and to safeguard economic developments in the Amsterdam Schiphol area. To provide a better understanding of the relationships between accessibility, spatial developments and surface transport needs of passengers and freight, the Transport Ministry commissioned a series of new studies. The primary objective was to determine expected changes in direct and indirect surface transport in the Schiphol region for different airport development scenarios. Scenarios examined included the possibility of constructing a new airport offshore in the North Sea. A comprehensive database has been constructed to serve as the core of an integrated policy management information system. The next phase is the refinement of existing (or design of new) national or regional transport models for the following tasks: (1) To describe the travel patterns for passenger and freight surface transport in the base year; (2) To forecast changes in direct and indirect surface transport needs in the period 2000-2030; (3) To identify the underlying factors that could influence the level and timing of travel; and (4) To appraise the technical efficacy and cost effectiveness of alternative policy measures. The paper describes the conceptual framework, the database and the analytical models used in this research programme. The main research results and findings together with a summary of the lessons learnt are also given.
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