GleamBlog

This month, Dulles International Airport joined the growing list of airports where curbside traffic has gotten so messy that services such as Uber and Lyft are no longer permitted to pick up passengers at the terminal curb.

Instead, airport officials have created a new pickup area for users of the ride-hailing apps away from the arrival terminal. The new spot is at ground level, outside of baggage claim.

“We identified a twofold need for improved flow of ground transportation: traffic alleviation during the busier times of the day and year, and a simpler, more convenient procedure for passengers hailing a ride through app-based services,” said Jerome L. Davis, executive vice president and chief revenue officer at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

“The solution was a new curb, dedicated solely for app-based ride services that will help relieve future airport roadway congestion and simplify the process for connecting passengers with their driver,” Davis said.

The new passenger pickup curb is just beyond the existing curb on the airport’s lower level, generally used by commercial vehicles.

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Dulles officials said getting to the pickup curb should be easy; it includes a new system with designated zones to help passengers easily identify their appropriate meeting location. This should create a more streamlined process for finding their ride. Exiting the terminal should also be faster because drivers will no longer encounter backups in the main terminal area.

The policy is meant to enhance and improve the ride app pickup experience at the airport. By creating a space exclusively for the app-based services, the airport said it “expects a smoother flow of traffic on its roadways and a more streamlined procedure for passengers to identify their driver and load their belongings as they leave the airport.”

LAX ends curbside pickups by Uber, Lyft and taxis

The new curb should also provide more space to social distance for ride-hailing and those awaiting to be picked up by relatives or friends on the arrivals level curb, airport officials said.

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People using the mobile apps will be directed through the app to the new pickup curb. Signs at the terminal will also direct passengers to the ground level from the baggage claim area using doors 2, 4 and 6 and directly to the new curb.

Airport drop-offs for all vehicles, including Uber and Lyft, will continue on the main departures level.

Other airports have moved Uber and Lyft pickups to other locations in recent years as well. Some, like Dulles, have created new curbs for the services, while others have dedicated space inside airport parking garages or near rental car facilities. In Los Angeles, travelers take a shuttle bus to the ride-hailing pickup area.

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