Metro 'Top-Notch' In Getting People To Mass on Time

Not-So-Reduced Fare

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

Is the fare determined by the time one enters the Metrorail system or the time one exits?

I filled out an application for a senior ID Jan. 28, within the 30 days before my 65th birthday. It took almost two months to receive it. The next business day, I used the remaining value of my standard SmarTrip card to go to Metro Center to purchase a senior SmarTrip card, rather than wait to get it in the mail.

I walked to the Kennedy Center and then George Washington University, reentering Metro at Foggy Bottom at 2:30 p.m. and arriving at my home station, Glenmont, at 3:05 p.m. To my surprise, I found that $2 had been deducted (the off-peak fare between the two stations is $2.35, and the full fare is $4).

Gary Goldberg

Silver Spring

First, this two-stage process for getting the SmarTrip card for seniors should be simpler and faster.

Seniors must apply for an identification card, then get the senior SmarTrip card to ride.

Second, I know the fare structure confuses seniors, because I've gotten many inquiries about it since the fares went up after Jan. 6.

Fares are based on the time of day and distance traveled. Some discounts are available. The senior discount means people 65 and older pay half the regular fare. The regular fare is the rush-hour fare.

In January, the rush hour fare shot up while the reduced, off-peak fare remained the same. So for some off-peak trips, people who went through the two-step hassle of applying for the senior discount now find they're not saving much money.

How Far to Move?

Speaking of confusing rules, we recently discussed how far a driver must move a vehicle after a meter expires. Montgomery County spokeswoman Esther Bowring provided this helpful information:

"I saw the letter from a Bethesda resident [Dr. Gridlock, April 3] who wrote in about meter feeding.

"I just wanted to clarify Montgomery County's policy about this issue. If an on-street meter expires, a car must move to another block. For example, if a car is parked in the 800 block of a street, the car cannot park in another parking space on that block (including across the street).

"If a person parks at a two-hour space in a garage, they can move to a 15-hour space once their time is up. They are not required to leave the facility; they just cannot move to a new two-hour space."

Dr. Gridlock appears Thursday in the Extras and Sunday in the Metro section. You can send e-mails todrgridlock@washpost.com. Include your name, home community and phone numbers.

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