Metro News Release

For immediate release: September 14, 2004

Arlington distributes free SmarTrip cards

Arlington County officials are celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Pike Ride bus routes by distributing free SmarTrip cards to riders at 12 Pike Ride bus stops along Columbia Pike in Arlington tomorrow morning during rush hour. They will also be at the bus bay area at the Pentagon City Metrorail station during the afternoon rush hour to distribute more free cards. Approximately 4,000 SmarTrip cards are expected to be distributed along with bus schedules. The SmarTrip cards do not have any value loaded on them, but they are worth $5 each. All Metrobuses are now equipped with SmarTrip fareboxes. Using the cards will allow customers to board buses quicker and transfer from Metrobus to Metrobus or Metrorail to Metrobus without a paper transfer. Recipients of the free SmarTrip cards should register their cards with Metro via the mail or online. Once cards are registered, if they are lost, Metro will reissue a new SmarTrip card with the dollar value on the card at the time the customer notified officials that it was lost. The fee for the replacement is just $5 to replace the card itself. For this valuable replacement feature, customers must register their cards. With more than 11,000 riders a day, the Pike Ride route has one of the highest riderships in the area. During its first year it carried more than three million customers. Implemented a year ago, it offers transit riders more frequent Metrobus 16 Line service through Arlington County to the Pentagon and Pentagon City terminals. It also added a new group of Arlington Transit (ART) feeder routes" ART 41, 73, 74 and 75. SmarTrip cards cost $5 each, plus the amount of fare the individual wants to purchase on the card. Customers may add up to $300 in value on a SmarTrip card, so it can last a long time between charging. 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 September 14, 2004.