From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Most Major U.S. Airports Have Transit Access -- So Why
Don't More People Use It?

Description:  Millions of passengers and airport employees travel to and
from U.S. airports every day--and traffic congestion is getting worse. A
new GAO review of 51 U.S. airports found that nearly all large airports
offer some form of public transit access, including rail and bus
connections. Yet transit use remains surprisingly low: only 4-19% of
passengers and about 4% of airport workers nationwide use public
transportation to get to work. GAO also found that airports are
beginning to use Transportation Demand Management (TDM) strategies--such
as better signage, transit incentives, and employee-focused programs--to
encourage greater use of public transit and reduce congestion.

Related GAO Work: GAO-26-107817, ACCESSING AIRPORTS: Available Public
Transit Options and Efforts to Promote Their Use

Released: January 2026


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GAO Report to Congress


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If getting to the airport feels more stressful than the flight itself,
you're not alone. Traffic to the airport really is getting worse.

Every day, more than 3 million passengers travel to and from U.S.
airports, and most of those trips still happen by car.

Pick ups, Drop offs, Parking, Taxies, and Rideshares all compete for the
same access roads and curb space.

Public transit could help, but it's not always accessible or practical.
Many airports don't have reliable or frequent service, and transit can
be hard if you're traveling with luggage, kids, or outside normal hours.

Some airports are trying solutions like better transit connections,
incentives, and managing demand. But, there's no silver bullet.

Airport traffic isn't just a travel annoyance, it's a system problem
hiding in plain sight.


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find out more @ GAO.gov


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For more info, check out our report GAO-26-107817 at: GAO.gov