What is Metro SmarTrip?
What is Metro SmarTrip? A SmarTrip is a reloadable product used to pay Metrorail, Metrobus, and Regional Transit Partner fares, as well as parking at Metro facilities. SmarTrip is available on mobile devices and as a plastic card. Learn more about SmarTrip Mobile.
How does Metro SmarTrip work?
Instead of paying each time, the SmarTrip can store value for rides. Unless a pass is purchased, the fare will be deducted from Stored Value each time a ride is taken. Up to $300 Stored Value can be loaded onto each SmarTrip.
Can I buy a SmarTrip card at Reagan Airport?
You can purchase a physical card at the Metro platform at the Smartrip kiosk or you can purchase one directly in your Apple or Google Wallet. Smartrip cards cost $10 and $8 will be loaded onto the card ready for you to use.
Why are Metro tickets so expensive?
The long distances between stops and the lower density of the Bay Area mean that the trains run with fewer passengers, and the agency charges much higher fares, asking riders to pay a larger share. Between 2002 and 2011, Metrorail has had an average farebox recovery ratio of 62.2% and has ranged from 58.1% to 67.7%.
Is DC Metro cheaper than driving?
All told, the commute cost using the IRS rate and a more average parking rate downtown comes out to about twice the cost of Metro even riding at the most expensive times and parking at a Metro lot. The mistakes in the original reflect a miscalculation that many commuters are making on a daily basis.
Are SmarTrip cards being discontinued?
The cards are being phased out due to the installation of new fare gates in Metro stations, which will begin in June 2021. All agencies that use the SmartBenefits program are encouraged to let their participating employees use Metro's online, self-service card replacement process.