Metrics to Measure Success
Public transit access to our airports is one category of our Sustainability Plan where we have certain clearly defined metrics to measure over time . Metrorail ridership is clearly one such metric . In addition , the number of subsidized passes we issue to employees and as important , how often they are used is another metric we can consider monitoring , if feasible . Measuring non-vehicle access to Reagan National is somewhat more difficult to quantify . A potential early initiative of the Sustainability Committee will be to evaluate the value of and options for measuring this non-vehicle access . Potential options could include monitoring pathway counts at key intersections , abundance of alternative transportation vehicles parked at the terminal ( i . e . bikes and scooters ), and / or surveys .
Existing Activities and Opportunities for Increasing Utilization Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ( WMATA ) Metrorail Service
As noted , over 4 million people used the Washington , D . C . Metrorail service in 2018 to go to and from Reagan National and we will look for ways to increase that number in years ahead . 44 Promotional campaigns in partnership with WMATA and other activities which drive ridership higher will be explored in the coming years . Just as exciting is the scheduled completion of the Metrorail ’ s Silver Line to Dulles International in 2021 . The Authority is currently overseeing the construction of this line and we look forward to partnering with WMATA in outreach to airline passengers and airport employees to encourage them to travel to Dulles International via the Metro to cut down on low-occupancy vehicle use and associated emissions . Currently , public transit options to Dulles International are available by express bus shuttles . Our expectation is that upon the launch of Metrorail service , ridership numbers for the express buses would decline . We also expect that Metrorail access to Dulles International will result in more of our Dulles-based employees taking advantage of our subsidized public transit passes as we would like to see the number of users grow well beyond the current number of 160 .
Non-Vehicle Access to Reagan National
When it comes to non-motorized access to airports , the Authority is fortunate that Reagan National is likely one of most accessible large airports in the United States by foot . From Crystal City , Virginia , home to many hotels , offices , and apartment complexes , it is less than 1.5 miles to the airport . Crystal City is also home to Amazon ’ s new East Coast headquarters , where hundreds of new jobs are being created . In addition to walking , bike and scooter access to the airport is also easy with popular bike path access nearby . To encourage more of this non-motorized access to Reagan , there are many things we will be considering as we move forward with our Sustainability Plan implementation . For example , we intend to assess our options in some of the following areas :
� � �
Completion of non-vehicle access counts for key locations to establish baseline usage Providing secure facilities to lock bicycles and scooters
Improving the lighting and security features along the path and tunnels connecting the airport to nearby communities to enhance safety and accessibility
44 COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented reduction in Metrorail ridership . Regaining ridership levels approaching
the 4 million level from 2018 might take several years . As a result , ridership metrics may be modified to reflect revised baselines to be established over the coming years of recovery .
49