The Washington, D.C. Metro Agency is pushing commuters to purchase their smartcard for train and bus payments
Transit authorities in Washington, D.C. are lowering the price of smartcards for public transportation as part of recent plans to reshape the transit payment system.
The price for SmarTrip cards will be cut in half – from $5 to $2.50 – by August 29. The plastic cards were initially installed to provide a cost-efficient payment solution, as payments with smartcards cost 20 cents less for each transaction. The Metro Agency has announced the plans in response to public criticism for increasing overall fares last month.
The Metro Agency has announced other promotions and fees designed to boost usage of the reusable smartcards for transportation payments. The agency will begin charging 25 cents extra for each rail payment made with disposable paper fare cards. The previous $5 charge for plastic smartcards has led to nearly $4 million saved in reserve funds, which will be used for operating the cheaper smartcard system.
The reduction in price for public transportation smartcards is a move by Washington’s metro authorities to catch up to the technology in other cities. Smartcards have been offered for free to commuters in Boston and San Francisco, which introduced its Clipper Card system last month.
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