Moving forward at America’s friendliest airport®

Known as the largest economic engine in the state of Arizona in the U.S., the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport serves more than 100,000 people and 1,500 flights daily. It was established in 1932 with only one runway, and the airport was nicknamed “The Farm” because of its remote location. Today, it is one of the 10 busiest airports in the world. Located in the hub of the Phoenix, Ariz., downtown area and business districts, the airport transports nearly 40 million people for business and pleasure every year.

“The 44th Street Station provides the important connection to the METRO Light Rail and the seamless airport transit connection to downtown Phoenix and downtown Tempe, Ariz.”

Fulfilling a Mission

The City of Phoenix Aviation Department (Aviation Department) embarked on a mission in 2002 to improve the increasing flow of people and automobiles moving through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Extensive landside transportation studies completed in support of this effort suggested that a secondary transportation system was imperative for the relief of roadway and curbside congestion; increasing passenger safety; and providing a sustainable, long-term capacity solution for the future growth of the airport.

Gannett Fleming was selected as the lead designer in the development of an automated people mover system to run beneath the city’s airport. Following an extensive transportation planning effort, the project evolved into the PHX Sky Train™ – a predominantly elevated, five-mile-long system designed with a commitment to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) certification and transit oriented design (TOD) principles. Planning and design efforts focused on present and future land uses that maximize ridership. These efforts also enhance development opportunities adjacent to stations andwill allow for easy expansion of additional supporting facilities and systems in the future.

Two Stages of Design and Construction

The first stage of the PHX Sky Train project focuses on the design and construction of three stations and 12,000 lineal feet of guideway, of which 9,000 feet will be elevated. The guideway will connect passengers between key airport facilities with strategically located stations at Terminal 4, which currently services 80 percent of the airport’s passengers and the East Economy parking lot. The first segment of the PHX Sky Train will also transport passengers to a new Airport Ground Transportation Center that includes a connection to the city’s highly successful METRO Light Rail system. Stage one is expected to be completed in 2013.

The second stage, planned to be complete in 2020, will continue west from Terminal 4 and will be approximately three miles in length, with provisions for four stations. It will connect the remaining airport terminals, parking, ground transportation facilities, and the airport’s rental car center.

Initial Challenges

Several obstacles to the project design required coordination with key officials and organizations prior to transitioning into final design and construction.

The Aviation Department and Gannett Fleming worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure its approval in constructing a primarily elevated train system through the airport, including an aerial crossing of an active taxiway.

Constructability analyses were undertaken in the planning phase to ensure the construction could be executed with acceptable disruption through an active airport. Conceptual construction scenarios were carefully coordinated with airport staff, as well impacted airlines and tenants, prior to moving into detailed designs.

To minimize the impacts to the existing airfield, the Aviation Department partnered with the Arizona Department (ADOT), the Federal Highway Administration, and the Maricopa Association of Governments to remove S.R. 153 from the regional freeway system and change ownership from ADOT to the City of Phoenix. A portion of this roadway, now renamed 44th Street, will be used to carry the PHX Sky Train as part of the first phase of the project.

Birds-eye view of the 44th Street Station.

Innovative Features

The train’s aerial guideway in stage one includes a crossing over Taxiway R that features 75 feet of clearance over the taxiway and a main span of 340 feet. This differentiating feature created a more cost-effective and operationally superior alignment for the train, and it represents the first time, worldwide, that a transit or vehicle bridge will be constructed over an active taxiway. The train itself will be electrically powered and operated on a dedicated guideway with convenient and seamless two- to three-minute headway service to shaded and/or climate-controlled stations; it will also provide intuitive connections at terminal passenger levels and direct, nonstop service between stations. To enhance the passenger experience further, integrated public art installations are planned for all stations.

As part of the train procurement process, the Aviation Department initiated a design-build, operate, and maintain contract procurement for the train system supplier. This process assured a competitively priced train system with a start-up and operational plan tailored to the airport’s needs.

Sustainable Design

The Aviation Department defined several key concepts for inclusion in the project that support sustainable design and construction principles.

• Implementation of the PHX Sky Train will relieve terminal roadway and curb congestion and is projected to result in approximately 20,000 fewer vehicles per day at the city’s airport, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 6,000 tons annually and ensuring the airport’s roadways flow freely.
• Promotion of TOD through the proximity of the new 44th Street Station to the city’s METRO Light Rail encourages use and further growth of public transportation, as well as supports development.
• Situated adjacent to Pueblo Grande Museum and Park of the Four Waters, a National Historic Landmark, the 44th Street Station site will be redeveloped from an existing industrial site. Facilities and infrastructure will be designed to integrate with the adjacent park and museum, and the site will be finished with low-maintenance and high-sun tolerant desert landscaping.
• Nearly 6,000 new jobs will likely be created as a result of stage one construction, which is currently underway.

The Aviation Department continually strives to exceed the promise of its tagline that promotes Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport as America’s Friendliest Airport®. With the Phoenix metropolitan population growth expected to reach 5 million people in 10 years, and 6 million by 2020, implementation of the PHX Sky Train positions the airport for continued future success.

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