No farecard, no problem: Metro may add tap payment options soon
No farecard? Soon, no problem.
As part of Metro’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year, officials hope to introduce an Open Payment fare system for Metrorail, Metrobus, and parking facilities during the next calendar year.
That means – just like in cities including New York – customers would have the option of using a credit card, mobile wallet, or linked smartwatch without having to use a SmarTrip card.
[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] Blonde woman holding out a DC Metro Smartrip card. This is a stored-value card that allows patrons to use the DC metro (WMATA) system as well as local buses in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington DC.
"I think that would make things way easier, and it would make the process way faster," Yvette Vessacque told FOX 5 at the Smithsonian Metro Station Thursday evening.
The station manager had just helped Vessacque load money onto her fare card. Asked how many times a day he assists a Metro rider in the same way, the manager laughed and replied, "A hundred."
A commuter buys a metro card at the Metro Center station in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023. The capital citys main business district remains strangely desolate and depopulated long after pandemic lockdowns ended with federal employees,
The plan is to roll out the Open Payment system over time.
Metrorail is scheduled to come first in May 2025, followed by Metrobus in summer 2025 and Metro parking facilities in late fall 2025.
Metro gets into the swimwear game with "Foggy Bottom" briefs
Transit aficionados can now combine their love of Metrorail with fashionable swimwear. DCMetroStore.com rolled out a pair of swim briefs emblazoned with "Foggy Bottom" across the back, festooned with blue, yellow, and gold lines. The Like It or Not team had some thoughts, and Jim Lokay offers some suggestions for future releases.