Metro News Release
For immediate release: June 24, 2004
Metro parking lots convertto SmarTrip payment only beginning Monday
Metrorail parking lots will officially shift to a tech-savvy SmarTrip card parking lot system on Monday, June 28, which means that all customers will have to pay their daily parking via a SmarTrip card. Cash will not be accepted when customers exit the parking lots. Also starting June 28, the parking lot payment hours will be expanded from 9 a.m. until closing Mondays through Fridays. Weekend and Federal holiday parking at Metro lots will remain free.
Most parkers at Metro parking facilities already use the SmarTrip card" a rechargeable farecard that can be used to pay for parking, Metrorail rides, and some Metrobus routes (soon expanding to all Metrobuses). The card is plastic" like a credit card" and is imbedded with a computer chip that keeps track of the value of the card and facilitates electronic communications with SmarTrip " targets."
Parkers simply tap the SmarTrip card on the target to enter or exit the parking lot; the parking fee is deducted from the card and the gate is lifted, allowing the car to enter or exit the lot or garage. Parking attendants will be on hand to assist customers, however they will not accept cash.
To ensure the availability of SmarTrip cards to parking customers, Metro has installed dispensing machines that sell the cards in its stations with parking facilities. The cards sell for $10 each and come pre-loaded with $5 in fare value. The dispensing machines accept $1, $5 and $10 bills or credit and debit cards. The machines do not make change, so $20 bills are not accepted. Once in hand, SmarTrip can be used seamlessly to pay for parking fees as well as for fares to ride Metrorail and some Metrobuses. All Metrobuses will be outfitted with new SmarTrip-accepting fareboxes by the end of the summer. So far several hundred of Metro’s 1,400 Metrobuses have the SmarTrip fareboxes installed.
Customers can also purchase SmarTrip cards 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. Locations of SmarTrip sales locations are also available online or by calling 202-637-7000. The 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.
If someone loses a SmarTrip card, they don" t lose the value if they register their card with Metro. For a $5 fee to replace the card itself, Metro will reissue a new SmarTrip card with the value on the card at the time the customer notified officials that it was lost. For this valuable replacement feature, customers must register their card, either at the point of purchase, via the mail or online.
News release issued on June 24, 2004.