Railing Against Airport Connectors

Smith contends that because airport connectors are poorly integrated with existing transit systems and usually have only two stops-a local hub and the airport-they offer little or no secondary benefits or opportunities for transit-oriented development. He calls out the Bay Area's proposed Oakland Airport Connector as the most wasteful example, saying the project is simply a $500 million replacement of an existing a three-mile bus route that will cost riders double the fare.

Smith writes:

"Airport connectors are often little more than highly inefficient subsidies to the airline industry, wealthy frequent fliers, and construction unions – which, now that I think about it, might explain why legislators love them so much.