Metro Fares to Increase July 1

• April 27, 2012
• 1 Comment

by UrbanTurf Staff

Proposed Metro fare increases announced back in January look like they will be going into effect on July 1. The fare increases, which are supposed to make up for a $116 million deficit, were approved by Metro’s board of directors on Thursday.

Here is a quick rundown:

• The base peak fare for rail riders would increase to $2.10 (from $1.95) and the maximum fare would increase 75 cents to $5.75. The base off-peak fare for rail riders would be $1.70, up from $1.60. The maximum off-peak fare would be $3.50.

• A 28-day unlimited pass would be made available on SmarTrip cards. It would cost $230, which many opponents say would not save regular commuters any money.

• The $9 one-day pass will be replaced by an unlimited pass that will run riders $14.

• Bus fares will increase by 10 cents for SmarTrip riders; those who pay cash will be charged an extra 20 cents.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/metro_fares_to_increase_july_1/5470

1 Comment

1. MP said at 7:22 pm on Friday April 27, 2012:
   $230 for a 28 day pass? What a joke. Who is going to buy this? In order for you to even break even, you would need to ride 40 trips at the highest fare. I can't think of many people that would make 40 trips at $5.75 in a 28 day period, but even if there are some that do, the fact that it is only the break even point; what if you are sick, or there is a holiday, etc etc. This will benefit very few if any people and I am guessing the amount they will need to spend to update their systems to accommodate this pass will far surpass the amount of money they get from selling these passes. What a waste.