Comparing the three submarkets, Rosslyn-Ballston, Tysons, and Toll Road which includes Reston and Herndon, the Rosslyn-Ballston (RB) corridor has the highest proportion of office inventory totaling ~9.58 million square feet (msf) near Metrorail stations. With five stops and its proximity to downtown DC, the RB corridor contributes to higher average daily exits compared to other suburban office markets.
Tysons metro stations posted the strongest ridership recovery among the submarkets, though metro commuting remains below pre-pandemic levels at 49% of January 2020 usage. Overall, Metrorail usage is down, with 2025 exits at 60% of 2019 levels in the RB corridor. Tysons performs better at 64%, while the Toll Road corridor trails at 53%.
The slower recovery in Metrorail ridership, even as overall office attendance improves, appears to be driven by a shift toward driving and later workday start times. More workers are driving to the office, reducing demand for public transit. In addition, some workplace policies allow employees to start their day later than the traditional 9:00 a.m. arrival time, shifting some commutes outside peak periods and reducing transit use during the busiest hours.
