Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 11, 2004

Metro Aims for Cashless Parking Lot System by July 1

Metro managers today recommended moving to a cashless parking lot system by July 1, which would have customers pay their daily parking via a SmarTrip card in an effort to eliminate suspected theft of parking fees. A comprehensive internal Metro audit report of parking operations and revenue collection from Metro-owned parking lots that are operated by Penn Parking focuses on suspected shortfalls in parking revenue collection and potential solutions. The 18-page audit was completed in May 2003. To date, Metro managers have held three public discussions with the Authority’s Board of Directors (February 26, March 4 and today) about the theft of money from Metro parking facilities by employees of Penn Parking, a contractor to WMATA, and possible solutions. Today, Metro managers recommended to the Metro Budget Committee that it eliminate parking lot cashiers by requiring parking lot users pay with a SmarTrip card. Approximately 71 percent of parkers currently use SmarTrip to pay for their parking. Metro would need to install additional SmarTrip-operated fare gates and SmarTrip vending machines in its parking garages for customers to use prior to moving to the cashless system. The full Board is expected to vote on the proposal at its March 18 meeting. Currently, customers who park in Metro-owned parking lots pay if they exit the parking lots between 2 and 10 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Under the new plan, the payment hours would be expanded from 9 a.m. until closing Mondays through Fridays. Weekend parking at Metro lots would remain free. The expansion of payment hours is expected to generate an additional $2.5 million for the FY 2005 operating budget. Metro officials would work to notify customers of the change and to provide the " cashless" information for new customers, occasional users and tourists. They also would work to get SmarTrip cards to as many regular parkers as possible and make it more convenient for customers to buy cards. If Metro is able to fully automate its parking facilities, it also would move to terminate its contract with Penn Parking, which provides cashiers for the parking lots. Ending the contract would save Metro approximately $2.8 million per year. Moving to a SmarTrip-only parking lot system would cost Metro $1.2 million to fund 18 additional positions to convert to a cashless parking lot collection system and $4.1 million to initiate and award, on an expedited basis, contracts necessary to modify existing contracts needed to convert to cashless operations ($2.9 million in operating funds and $1.2 million in capital funds). That money would also include new signage, the acquisition of SmarTrip vending machines, and parking lot assistance personnel.

News release issued on March 11, 2004.