Identification and Evaluation of Guide Signing for Airport Roadways with Specific Application to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (SWUTC/98/467406-1)

Airport users consist of many types of travelers. Many of those using an airport may never leave the airport terminal(s), passing through the airport when transferring from one flight to another. Others may arrive at or depart from the airport by some mode of travel that does not require them to make travel decisions (such as public transit, taxi, or shuttle). Many airline passengers travel in a vehicle (personal, business, or rental vehicle) on the airport roadway network in order to arrive at or depart from the airport. Providing the drivers of these vehicles with the information and guide signing needed to successfully navigate into, through, and out of the airport property presents several unique challenges. Based on discussions with planning personnel at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, providing drivers with information and guide signing was judged to be one of the major challenges facing the airport. In an effort to address the challenges associated with airport roadway guide signing, the Southwest Region University Transportation Center (SWUTC) at Texas A&M University supported a research study to develop a generalized procedure that could be used by airports to assess the effectiveness of the signing at an airport. The procedure was developed and refined through application of the principles to roadway signing at DFW Airport. This report represents the analysis of the roadway signing at the international airport.