Metro News Release
For immediate release: June 5, 2008
Metro urges bus riders to switch from cash to SmarTrip®
Metro wants more people to pay for their bus trips with SmarTrip® and has launched an advertising campaign that reminds passengers that paying their Metrobus fares with SmarTrip® saves 10¢ a ride, eliminates the search through purses and pockets for exact change and cuts boarding times on buses.
“Join the Revolution,” one ads says. “Get to your seats faster. Be on your way sooner. Save 10¢ every time you ride Metrobus.”
The advertisements aim to heighten bus riders’ awareness about SmarTrip®, tout the benefits of SmarTrip® and increase usage of the plastic, rechargeable farecard on Metrobuses to speed the boarding process.
The ad campaign includes three creative executions in both English and Spanish. They are appearing on the exteriors and interiors of buses, bus stop information cases and Metrorail stations. In addition, radio ads in English and Spanish will run through the end of the month.
To get information to passengers as they wait for buses, “SmarTrip® Street Teams” are targeting busy bus stops in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia through June 12, and handing out SmarTrip® brochures and a limited quantity of mints in a SmarTrip® tin.
When Metro raised fares in January, the cost of bus fares paid by cash increased 10¢ to $1.35, but riders using SmarTrip® paid the same $1.25 fare. In addition, as part of the fare increase package approved by Metro’s Board of Directors last year, Metrobus plans to eliminate paper transfers in January 2009. Only riders who pay with SmarTrip® will be able to transfer from one Metrobus to another for free beginning next year.
Currently, about 25 percent of trips on Metrobus and 65 percent of trips on Metrorail are made by customers using SmarTrip® cards.
Metro first introduced the SmarTrip® card in 1999 as a fast and convenient way to pay for Metrorail fares. In 2004, all Metrobuses accepted SmarTrip® as a form of payment.
In addition to Metrorail and Metrobus, passengers can use SmarTrip® to pay for travel on regional bus systems including ART, CUE, DASH, Ride On, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Transit, PRTC and the DC- Circulator, and for parking at Metro parking facilities.
SmarTrip® can be purchased on Metro’s Web site, at Metro sales offices at Metro Center, the Pentagon and Metro headquarters, at the Northern, Western, Landover, Royal Street and Four Mile Run Metrobus divisions, from vending machines at Metrorail stations that have parking facilities, at regional transit stores and at select Giant stores.
News release issued at 1:55 pm, June 5, 2008.