Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 24, 2008

Commemorative Obama Inauguration farecards, One-Day Passes now available

All Metrorail stations to have farecards by the end of next week

Metro officials have started to load commemorative Barack Obama Inauguration farecards and One-Day Passes in fare vending machines at Metrorail stations.

The commemorative farecards are replacing the regular farecards in the vending machines. Metro printed five million of the specially designed farecards with President-elect Barack Obama on the face of the cards. They replace the farecards with an image of two pandas on the front. When the stock of Obama cards is exhausted, Metro will return to the panda farecards. The supply of commemorative cards is expected to last through Inauguration Weekend.

Vending machines on the Green Line and several and Yellow Line stations already have the commemorative cards and One-Day Passes available. Metro technicians will continue to place the new commemorative One-Day Passes and farecards in vending machines throughout the Metrorail system until all vending machines carry the cards. The remaining vending machines will be stocked with the commemorative cards by the end of next week.

Metro officials encourage people to purchase the Commemorative Inauguration One-Day Passes in vending machines for $7.80 in advance of Inauguration Weekend. Or they can purchase regular One-Day Passes as well as the Commemorative Inauguration One-Day Passes through Metro’s Web site for $10, which includes a handling fee.

People can purchase One-Day Passes in advance of using them. They remain valid until the day they are used.


Metro employee Charles Legrand loads rolls of Barack Obama farecards into a revenue cart for installation in farecard machines (left). Barack Obama One-Day Pass (right).

People who are planning to travel via Metro during Inauguration Weekend to purchase a One-Day Pass for each day they are planning to travel via Metrorail. “If there are two people traveling together and they are planning to ride Metrorail for four days, they should purchase eight cards now and set them aside,” explained Metro General Manager John Catoe. “Riders will need to keep the used cards separate from their unused cards because they look the same, even after they are processed through the faregates.  Plus, if you’re looking for a last-minute stocking stuffer, this would be a wonderful keepsake,” Catoe said.

People can also sign up for special e-alerts dedicated to the Inauguration on Metro’s Web site at http://www.wmata.com/inauguration.  E-alerts will be issued when Metro has news relating to service for the Inauguration, and, perhaps more importantly, when there may be service disruptions during the course of the four-day Inauguration Weekend.

News release issued at 10:37 am, December 24, 2008.