Frontports
The Netherlands is becoming more crowded. More and more traffic-jams arise which also increase in length. For passengers travelling from Schiphol it is difficult to predict how much time it will take them to arrive at the airport. Schiphol Group puts a lot of effort into the attractiveness of flying from the airport. The Frontports project is focused on making travel-time clear and predictable and receiving passengers at a distant location from the airport. Examples of such locations are a Park & Ride along the motorway or a region just outside the Randstad.
Approach
The focus of the research was to examine whether the concept is satisfying for passengers, serves as a solution and broadens the catchment area of Schiphol. Catchment area refers to the area within which a potential passenger can be at Schiphol within a set time. The emphasis of the research was to enlarge the catchment area of Schiphol in the direction of the east.
Results
The provisional results of this SIM research have led to the innovative transport concept of Park & Ride locations nearby the Randstad: ‘Frontports’. A frontport can be specified as a location in which railways and highway are very close to each other. This means it would be ease to change your means of transport. At this moment the first orientating conversations are held with a number of interested parties (among which NS, Prorail and government) to work out the concept further and review the feasibility more in-depth. Because of several uncertainties and other priorities this concept will not be given attention on short notice.
