With Uber and Lyft adding to holiday traffic at the D.C. region’s airports, Reagan National and Dulles International airports plan to raise fees next year for using the ride-hailing services.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority intends to raise per-trip fees from $4 to $5, effective Jan. 1.
The fees are typically included by the companies as a surcharge riders pay on each trip.
Use of services such as Uber and Lyft grew sharply on airport property over the last few years with no signs of slowing, even with cab drivers lined up waiting for passengers.
Ride sharing also cut into airport parking revenue.
At Reagan National, the airports authority added extra police officers to manage traffic at the busiest times and built a waiting lot for ride-sharing drivers who have been moved off-site due to ongoing construction closures.
At Dulles, the authority spent millions on roadway changes and signage for the ride-hailing services.
The airports authority hopes better matching by the companies of drivers and riders could help reduce the amount of circling, double parking and extra traffic in the future.
Uber has pushed back on the increase, including in a letter sent to the airports authority last month. The letter argued the increase would make the per-trip fee among the highest in the country. Uber builds the fee into the price shown to riders requesting a car, then shows the itemized costs in the app later.
At BWI Marshall Airport, which is managed separately by Maryland, the per-trip fee is $2.50, set in 2017.
