Metro: Use SmarTrip or Pay More

Plan Pushes Debit Card, Includes Fare Increase for Cash Users

Will a SmarTrip card speed up Sandra Henríquez's bus commute? Perhaps, she thinks.

But the Arlington resident has never owned one of the electronic debit cards, nor does she know where to buy one. And she didn't know that Metro is considering raising her $1.25 bus fare by 75 cents because she pays with cash.

"The cards might be faster," Henríquez, 28, said, after hearing about the proposal last week. "But I prefer to use cash. There's more control over how much you spend."

Getting riders such as Henríquez to forego cash in favor of a SmarTrip card is one of the primary goals of a money-raising plan by Metro managers that also includes fare increases, more contributions from area taxpayers, reduced bus and rail service and administrative cuts. Under the proposal, SmarTrip riders would pay less because they save the agency money and speed people through the system.

But encouraging riders to switch to SmarTrip raises several potential problems: the minimum payment is $10, including $5 for the card; they're not accepted on regional bus systems that many Metro riders transfer to; and they can be difficult to find.

"If you're building an incentive into the SmarTrip, and you can't have access to it, then it is really a penalty," said Metro board Chairman Gladys W. Mack, who represents the District.

Cards are sold online, at Metrorail stations with parking lots, Metro sales offices, area commuter stores and at 11 Giant and Safeway grocery stores in the region.

Metro officials also said switching to the cards is a politically sensitive issue because of the perception that Metrobus riders, who tend to have lower incomes, can't afford the cards and don't want to use them.

A move to SmarTrip "should be a good thing, but only if we do it right," said Christopher Zimmerman, who represents Virginia on the board.

Under the proposal, fares would increase for all Metrorail riders, but by smaller amounts for those who pay with SmarTrip cards. There would be no increase for bus riders who use SmarTrip or weekly bus passes, while others would pay an additional 75 cents. Metro has also proposed getting rid of free paper-to-paper bus transfers and one-day passes, and allowing transfers only on SmarTrip. Right now, bus fares are the same regardless of payment method.

The proposals are among several recommendations made by Metro staff this month to close a $116 million shortfall in the proposed budget for fiscal 2008, which begins July 1.

Eliminating paper transactions would reduce Metro's operating costs and cut boarding times, according to Metro board member Charles Deegan, who represents Maryland.