The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority this week proposed new regulations that airport officials say would better incorporate companies such as Uber and Lyft into ground transportation operations at Washington Dulles International (IAD) and Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA).
The proposal would better align all ground transportation options with the requirements on other services operating at the airports. It’s considered the first step in a formal comment process that will lead to a revised code of regulations for ground transportation at the airports.
“As the demand for new, app-based ground transportation choices has growth at Reagan National and Dulles International, the airports authority has worked to incorporate those options into the fabric of our airports,” says Margaret McKeough, executive vice president and COO at MWAA. “We want our customers to have convenient access to the ground transportation choices they desire, while still ensuring the quality they deserve.”
Under the proposed regulations, network companies such as Uber and Lyft, as well as traditional limousine and car service providers, would be allowed to operate at the two airports if they are authorized to operate by a state or local government in the Washington metropolitan area, obtain an operating permit from MWAA, and pay an access fee to cover costs associated with the maintenance and renovation of airport infrastructure. Areas would be created at both airports where such operators would be able to wait and arrange trips, increasing convenience to passengers by having cars nearby and ready when requested.
The MWAA board voted to begin a 30-day public comment period on the proposed regulations, including four public hearings, two at each airport.
MWAA’s board this week also voted to approve the selection of an architectural engineering firm to design improvements at DCA. AIR Alliance, a joint venture between AECOM and PGAL, will take on the construction program, which is designed to help ease crowding in the airport’s B/C Terminal and replace outdoor commuter boarding areas with an indoor facility.
The $1 billion Reagan National Airport improvement program is focused on improving customer service in response to record passenger growth in recent years. It will include the construction of a new concourse to replace the 14 outdoor boarding areas on the north side of the airport and also will relocate security checkpoints in the B/C Terminal to allow passengers access between the terminal gate areas without having to be re-screened. The changes will move National Hall, which holds the primary shopping and dining locations at DCA, post-security to better serve passengers waiting for their planes.
Finally, MWAA directors voted to confirm Derric Gregory Sr. as vice president of audit. He has more than 20 years of experience in auditing, risk management, compliance, governance and accounting, and he was most recently president of Dimension Partners LLC of Durham, N.C., where he provided strategic consulting service in internal audit, enterprise risk management and financial services.
