Reston Town Center Association (RTCA) has been awarded the 2023 Employer Services Organization Achievement Award from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG), honoring the association’s launch of its linkRTC shuttle service. Linkrtc.org

The awards annually recognize transportation demand management (TDM) innovators and leaders committed to reducing vehicle trips and miles traveled while creating measurable and sustainable commuter benefits.

The LinkRTC shuttle launched last November, simultaneous with the opening of the Reston Town Center Metro Station and Phase II of the Silver Line. It operates Monday-Friday, 7am-7pm, stopping about every 10 minutes at six stops connecting Metro with Town Center's expanding urban core. Ridership is up 50% in recent months. “This free, open-to-the-public service is the first of its kind along Phase II of the Silver Line,”  said RTCA Executive Director Robert Goudie, adding that Reston Town Center is “a livable employment, cultural, and amenity center.”

With an estimated 10,000 employees on or near the shuttle route, Reston Town Center is already one of the largest employment centers in Virginia.

Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn said: “Transit oriented development works when people can easily get to transit, and that's why my office was happy to help secure the dedicated pick-up/drop-off spot for linkRTC at the Metro Station. The COG award shines a light on this leading example for how to seamlessly integrate Metro into a transit station area.”