Metro News Release

For immediate release: March 25, 2004

Metro moves toward fleetwide installation of SmarTrip fareboxes on Metrobuses by end of summer

Metrobus riders will start to see the new high-tech SmarTrip fareboxes on more buses this spring. Metro managers announced today that the new fareboxes will be in place on all buses by the end of summer, provided the contractor, Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., successfully corrects some software problems. Metro has eight different garages where SmarTrip fareboxes would be installed this spring and summer if Cubic meets its schedule for adjusting the software. Two garages of buses already have the new fareboxes in operation. Metro launched its SmarTrip fareboxes in fall 2002 at one of its bus garages (Arlington garage) and expanded to its second garage (Southern Avenue garage) in November 2003. The SmarTrip fareboxes are not only designed to validate money and process SmarTrip card transactions, but they also provide enhanced data collection and specialized reports for Metro managers. Customer outreach events will be coordinated with farebox installation at each bus division to reach customers immediately prior to and during the launch. Feedback will be monitored throughout the rollout process to identify and respond immediately to any unforeseen issues. Once the SmarTrip card-accepting fareboxes are installed on all Metrobuses, transit agencies in the region will focus installing them on 16 other transit systems in Maryland and Virginia including: RideOn, The Bus, Annapolis Transit, Baltimore MTA and MARC Corridor Transit Corporation, Frederick Transit, Harford County Transportation Services, Howard County Transit, ART, CUE, DASH, Fairfax Connector, Loudoun County Transit, PRTC/OmniRide, and VRE. Bus customers can still pay for their fares with cash, passes, tokens, or tickets, " But for those with a SmarTrip card, it’s a simple matter of touch and go," said Metro CEO Richard A.White. The fareboxes are heavy-duty metal boxes similar to the ones that have been sitting at the entrance to buses for years. The main difference is that these new fare-boxes allow customers to touch their card to pay their bus fare, making it as easy to use as a faregate at a Metrorail station. Customers touch the card to the SmarTrip target and the farebox deducts the correct fare amount. Additionally, customers will be able to add value using cash to their SmarTrip cards on the bus by touching the " Add Value" button on top of the farebox and then inserting the desired amount of money. Paper cash is inserted in a bill validator as on Metrorail ticket vending machines and coins are deposited in the opening directly beneath the bill validator. The fareboxes do not accept pennies. This is part of an overall effort by Metro to reduce the cost of handling coins on the system. Pennies are not accepted by Metrorail ticket machines or by most other vending machines. Should a customer inadvertently put pennies in the farebox, they will be returned. " We recommend that customers use large denomination bills when adding value to their SmarTrip cards at the farebox as that will speed th process," said Murray Bond, Metro’s Director of SmarTrip Operations. He also advised that customers should have cash to pay their bus fares during the installation period should the new farebox not be on a particular bus and to get a paper transfer from the bus operator to ensure not having to pay a fare on a connecting bus that might not be equipped with the new farebox. SmarTrip cards cost $5 each, plus the amount of fare the individual wants to purchase on the card. Customers may add up to $200 in value on a SmarTrip card, so it can last a long time between charging. In addition to the special sales events listed above, SmarTrip is available for purchase by cash or credit/debit card at any of three Metro sales offices; at any of 11 commuter stores; at special retail outlets; via U.S. mail; at any of six specific Metrobus divisions; or online at http://www.wmata.com/riding/smartrip.cfm. Locations of SmarTrip sales locations are also available online or by calling 202-637-7000.

News release issued on March 25, 2004.