Nested logit model formation to analyze airport parking behavior based on stated preference survey studies

•This paper has analyzed the travelers' parking choice preferences based on a survey study at Beijing Capital International Airport.•Two nested logit models for parking lot location and connection modes choices were established to analyze the different parking travelers.•Long-term parking travelers are more sensitive to parking fee and distance. However, short-term travelers are only sensitive to the distance.•A classification analysis of travelers was conducted and the changes in travelers' parking choices to off-site parking lots were quantified.

The rapid growth of private car ownership and utilization has resulted in significant parking-related congestion problems at large-scale international airports. Parking facilities located in the peripheral areas of airports could be more efficiently used to mitigate congestion and reduce delays due to dramatically increasing traffic demands and inferiorly designed parking lot configurations. In order to analyze the travelers' parking choice preferences for the off-site airport parking activities, a stated preference survey study was conducted around Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport. Two nested logit models were formulated to analyze the correlation between travelers' parking behavior and their travel characteristics. The research results indicate that travelers prefer to choose off-site parking facilities for long-term parking. A free and fast operation of connections should be provided in consideration of the long-distance layouts of parking facilities. A classification analysis of travelers with different preferences was conducted and the potential changes in travelers' parking choices to off-site parking lots were quantified. The research findings are helpful for traffic management agencies to develop practical guidelines for the establishment of new parking facilities with multiple access points at airports.