7/25/2019 Reagan National

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THE PROBLEM: GATE 35XGate 35X, in Terminal C, is every travelers worstnightmare.

This gate used to handle US Airways Expressoperations and its use has only expanded under USAirways merger with American Airlines. Passengersare hoarded into a crowded, dim waiting areaon the airports lowest level, where they ile onto

shuttle buses to planes lined up outside of MWAAscorporate oice building and a pair of hangars.

The addition of 35X expanded Reagans capacityby 55 percent. But on a bad weather day, theexperience is plainly awful. And th is isnt a rarelyused part of the airport: 100 operations a day from 14 outdoor boarding positions are handled

out of 35X. Roughly 5,000 people pass throughdaily.

It is so busy that MWAA built an expanded blastwall to protect buses from aircraft engines, so thatmore shuttles can move more frequently.

Its probably the worst customer service piece Ican think of, airport Manager Paul Malandrino.

THE SOLUTION:NEW CONCOURSEA new concourse, to extend from the existingnorth pier in Terminal C to the site of the MWAA

administration building and two adjacent hangars,will sit at the northern reaches of the airport.

More than 200 MWAA executives and staff willbe relocated to Reagans historic, original terminal,between Terminals A and B, which is largely in use

today as event and museum space. The planes inthe demolished hangars w ill largely be relocated to

renovated hangars south of Terminal A.In Terminal C, at airport rush hour, its a

madhouse. Shifting 100 lights a day to a newterminal is expected to relieve crowding, improvesafety and generally make the movement of

passengers more eicient.There are several times of the day when you can

barely walk here, Malandrino said while standingin Terminal C on an early Friday afternoon, as thefoot traic picked up. Weve got to build a northconcourse. You dont have to get on a bus. Youdont have to walk in t he weather.

THE PLANThe challenges at Reagan National are not onefold or twofold. They are many from traic congestion to limited parking to hangar space and there is no cheapix. But there are two in particular on which the Metropolitan Washington AirportsAuthority has focused its billion-dollar gaze.

EXISTING TERMINAL

NEW CONSTRUCTION

EXISTING METRO STATION/TRACKS

TOTERMINAL

A RTERMI

NALBR

TERMINALB/

C R

TERMINALC

NATIONALHA

LL

EXISTINGH

ANGARS

(TOBEDEM

OLISHED)

MWAAOFFIC

ES

(TOBEMOV

ED)

EXISTINGP

LANES

FORGATE35

X

NATIONALH

ALL

NORTHSECUR

ITY

CHECKPOINT

METROSTATIO

N/TRACKS

R

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

SOUTH

SECURITY

CHECKPOIN

T

NEWNORTH

CONCOURS

E Q

Q

PASSENGER TRAFFIC FLOWS

THE SOLUTION: NEW CHECKPOINTSTHE PROBLEM: SECURITYA passenger arrives atReagans Gate 37 in TerminalC. There are four hoursto kill until his next light,which leaves from Gate 12 in

Terminal B.In most airports, that walk

or tram from one gate toanother is uneventful. Thetraveler endured the TSAonce-over at one airport;theres no reason to gothrough it again at stop two.

Not at Reagan. The threepiers that comprise TerminalsB, B/C and C each havetheir own TSA checkpoint,accessed from the currently

unsecured National Hall.Need to get from one pier

to another? Catch a shuttle,or go through security again.For those in a rush, missing

that shuttle may meanmissing the next light out ofdodge.

Shopping or dining inNational Hall at BensChili Bowl, Cibo Bistro, Cosi,Qdoba, Brooks Brothers,Fine Leather Works, Spanx,Sunglass Hut, amongnumerous others maymean multiple runs throughthe TSA. At airport rush hour?Forget it.

Put National Hall behindsecurity.

MWAA plans a pair ofscreening mezzaninesbetween the top arrival

and lower departureroads, allowing passengermovement between terminalsB and C, through NationalHall, with no rescreening,reducing congestion andeliminating shuttle busing.

Passengers will ilter down

from the nonsecure ticketingand check-in lobby on thetop loor into the passengerqueue area within the newmezzanines, then ilter into

National Hall.This is what passengers

want, Malandrino said, thefreedom to move, to shop, todine, to relax.

Well have room forpeople to actually movearound, he said.

NON-SECURE

CIRCULATION

TO TERMINAL A

METRO

FARECARD

PLAZA

METRO

FARECARD

PLAZA

SECURENATIONAL HALL

TERMINAL B

TERMINAL B/C

TERMINAL C

SECURENATIONAL HALL

FUTURE

NEW NORTHCONCOURSE

CONNECTOR

R

R

PASSENGER SCREENING

SECURITY CHECKPOINTS

R

PASSENGER SCREENING

SECURITY CHECKPOINTS

R

Arrivals post-security

Departures post-security

Departures

Mechanical/support

Pre-security areas

Post-security areas

ROADWAY SYSTEM

UNDERNEATH

R

R