Metro News Release

For immediate release: January 3, 2008

Metro distributes SmarTrip® cards to social service agencies

Metro officials have begun to distribute 50,000 SmarTrip® cards to local service agencies for distribution to low-income Metrobus customers. The free card distribution is to help alleviate the impact of fare increases that will begin January 6.

Bus customers who use a SmarTrip® card to pay for their Metrobus fares will not see a bus fare increase, but those who pay using cash will see their trip increase from $1.25 to $1.35.

Metro has distributed the 50,000 SmarTrip® cards to local social service agencies in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia for free distribution to low-income bus riders to defray the cost of the $5 rechargeable fare cards. The actual distribution of the SmarTrip® cards will be made by the local jurisdictional social service agencies.

“We are relying on those who are the experts in serving this segment of the community to do the distribution,” said Metro General Manager John Catoe. “While Metro is providing these SmarTrip® cards for free, it will be up to each jurisdiction to administer the distribution to those in need.”

The goal is to “reduce the impact of the fare increase on low-income bus riders, by giving those who qualify a free card for them to use again and again,” Catoe said. Passengers will need to load the rechargeable card using their own funds.

SmarTrip® Distribution to Social Service Agencies

News release issued at 12:00 am, January 3, 2008.