Why are bus stations and rail stations usually located downtown but not airports?

sunshine_mel

Airports require a lot more space, so are built out of town. Railways came much earlier, and generally people wanted to be dropped somewhere near their destination; ie a town centre.

Obi Wan Knievel

Because bus and rail stations take up one or two blocks, and airports take up square miles. If any city built its airport downtown, it would take up the entire downtown.

nico

The tall buildings get in the way of big planes taking off and landing---plus, as you may have noticed, airports need a lot of land. Land is cheaper away from downtown and they didn't have to tear down a whole downtown to get enough land because most airports are built on what was vacant land or farms. Rail stations were usually there before most people had cars so they were put in the centre of the city close to where most people arriving or leaving were coming from. Buses tend, these days, to serve people who don't have cars and are downtown so those people can get to where they're going or to a public transit system.

Jay P

Rail stations were often built years ago and could more easily be built in the heart of the town or city. Also, for newer cities, they often sprang up around the rail station as that is how goods came into town. Bus stations do not require very much room in comparison so building one can be done with relative ease anywhere there is vacant land. Airports require huge areas of land for the runways so to build one, you need the availability of land and you need that land to be cheap. That means outside of the city. Also, you need a clear flight path for planes to land and depart which means away from taller buildings.

thinkingtime

There's a Toronto Airport, Billy Bishop, on the lake. No buildings in the way, there.

Peter

Because people often go to work by bus, so bus stations should be built where people live. Rail stations are somewhat remoter because less people us. While Airports take up much space and not an everyday commute way, so they are built at suburbs.

Karen L

The tall buildings get in the way of big planes taking off and landing---plus, as you may have noticed, airports need a lot of land. Land is cheaper away from downtown and they didn't have to tear down a whole downtown to get enough land because most airports are built on what was vacant land or farms. Rail stations were usually there before most people had cars so they were put in the centre of the city close to where most people arriving or leaving were coming from. Buses tend, these days, to serve people who don't have cars and are downtown so those people can get to where they're going or to a public transit system.

rick29148

airports take-up tons of room .................................................

SovietGOP

There tends to be less room for runways downtown, plus jet blast on downton citizens is frowned upon, as much as i would enjoy it.