Metro News Release

For immediate release: August 19, 2004

SmarTrip card inventory increased, on-line sales to resume

When Metro shifted to a SmarTrip parking payment system on June 28, sales of the plastic rechargeable farecards that can be used to pay for parking as well as for Metrorail and Metrobus fares soared to the point that Metro staff thought that the possibility existed that they would sell out of the cards. Today, Metro managers shared good news with the Metro Board. Due to exceptional efforts by the card supplier, Giesecke & Devrient, to increase the rate of card production, enough cards have arrived so that it is unlikely that the card supply will be depleted. At no point did the card supply run out, and Metro continued to make SmarTrip cards available at vending machines at rail stations even though Internet sales were suspended on July 21 when cards were in short supply. Internet sales of SmarTrip cards will resume today because Metro’s card supply is at a point where officials are confident that the supply is such that the regional transit authority will have enough cards to fill Internet requests. Beginning immediately, Metro parking lots will no longer accept paper farecards as payment for parking. All customers must pay parking fees via a SmarTrip card. Another large shipment of cards is expected in September as the company works to fulfill orders for one million cards--an order for 500,000 cards that was approved in June and an order for an additional 500,000 cards that was approved today. Prior to the start of the SmarTrip-only parking payment program, sales of the cards averaged 8,000 per month (between May 1999 and May 2004). Since June 28, customers have been purchasing them at a rate of 90,000 per month, most directly from new SmarTrip vending machines that are located inside 30 Metrorail stations. The high volume of SmarTrip sales can be attributed to several initiatives coming together at once. They include:" the shift to SmarTrip-only parking payment program that was initiated on June 28;" the installation of the SmarTrip vending machines inside 30 stations, making it easy and convenient for all customers (not just those who are parking in Metro facilities) to pick up a SmarTrip card;" the final installation of SmarTrip fareboxes in early August on all Metrobuses which has created a demand for SmarTrip cards by Metrobus users; " a surprising resurgence of tourists to the region, which has resulted in an elevated purchase of SmarTrip cards by one-time-only users of the cards; and" unprecedented high Metrorail ridership that saw June and July average weekday ridership in the 700,000 range. In an effort to conserve SmarTrip cards, officials had temporarily halted internet sales of the cards on July 21, while continuing sales at outlets and in stations. While cards were in short supply, customers were permitted to pay the parking fee by purchasing paper farecards in the exact amount of the fee and then hand the paper farecard to the parking customer assistance representative who was stationed at the lot’s exit gate. Starting Monday, August 23, that will no longer be an option. All parking customers once gain will be required to pay for their parking using a SmarTrip card.

News release issued on August 19, 2004.