Metro News Release

For immediate release: May 11, 2009

Metro weighs additional way to pay fares

Riders could pay fares with bank cards in the future

A new way to pay may be on the horizon for Metro riders. The transit agency is considering using bank cards as a form of payment in rail stations, buses and parking lots.

According to Metro managers, the idea is to eventually offer an additional fare payment option for riders. Instead of using a SmarTrip® card, paper farecard, or cash on buses customers could also touch or wave their credit card across a card reader and pass through the fare gates in rail stations and fare boxes on buses.

The Metro Board on May 28 approved moving forward with solicitation of business proposals to implement other forms of contactless fare payment technology. The technology traditionally includes a small chip embedded in a plastic card or key chain. SmarTrip® cards are embedded with proprietary technology. The new payment system could have a chip that conforms to one set of international standards and could be used at other transit systems if they have the same open technology.

Other transit agencies, such as those in New York and Utah are trying payment with bank cards. Metro managers say the advantages for customers are that they won’t have to wait in lines at vending machines, and they are familiar with using credit cards. Tourists and the occasional rider also wouldn’t need to study the fare charts. For the transit agency, it could mean lower fare collection costs if card companies would manage the collection system and customer inquiries. There is also the potential to raise revenue by partnering with credit card companies or banks.

Officials will solicit proposals this spring and begin reviewing proposals this summer.

In the meantime, SmarTrip® improvements are moving ahead this year. Beginning this fall, SmarTrip software will be upgraded to allow the cards to compute passes, starting with the unlimited weekly bus pass. Other improvements include launching a SmarTrip® Web site and advance the interactive voice response system at the customer service center. Customers will be able to access card balances, transaction history and report lost or stolen cards. 

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Media contact for this news release: Candace Smith or Lisa Farbstein at 202-962-1051.

News release issued at 10:09 am, May 11, 2009.