Metro can make rail passes available on plastic SmarTrip cards instead of less reliable and infrequently used paper cards, the agency said in an about-face.
It now plans to make the current seven-day rail passes available on SmarTrip cards in April.
And it can put proposed 28- or 30-day passes on the plastic cards when likely fare increases kick in, Metro Chief Financial Officer Carol Dillon Kissal said.
| How Metro riders pay |
| On rail: |
| 79% SmarTrip cards |
| 17% paper farecards, not including passes |
| 4% rail passes (7-day, daily, etc.) |
| On bus: |
| 85% SmarTrip cards |
| 15% cash, other tokens |
| Source: latest data from Metro, October 2011 |
“The new news is we can do a monthly pass. I can do it on SmarTrip,” Kissal said. “And we think we can do it by July 1 if the board directs us to do it.”
Unlimited monthly passes are under consideration as the agency looks to fill an $119 million budget gap in its proposed $2.6 billion budget.
Metro initially said it couldn’t program the passes onto SmarTrip cards. But having the monthly pass on the plastic farecards could rescue them from being little-used. Four percent of rail trips are paid for with rail passes, and most of those are one-day passes used mostly by tourists.
Metro offers a $47 seven-day pass giving unlimited rail rides of any length, or a $32.35 seven-day pass for short trips. The agency proposes raising prices to $57.50 and $35.
A stand-alone monthly pass could be a better deal for both riders and the agency. Metro would get a guaranteed purchase for a month and benefit when riders don’t use the system. Regular riders would cover their commutes, then get extra trips essentially for free.
But the agency would not be able to let riders use their SmartBenefits, the federal benefits given by employers, by July 1, spokesman Dan Stessel said. It may be possible in the future.
But the question will be how much a monthly pass would cost.
Metro has priced the 28-day pass at $230 on its public hearing docket; the board can approve lower rates but not higher than advertised.
Still, Kissal said the passes likely would hit on the higher end of the fare scale, which would benefit suburban riders taking the longest trips.
“I would want to price it so it doesn’t have a negative financial impact on Metro,” she said.
Michael Perkins, a transit advocate and regular Orange Line rider who has pushed for unlimited monthly passes, said the agency needs to price them cheaper than what it costs to buy four seven-day passes — or else riders won’t use them.
But he said having only one monthly pass option, instead of multiple cheaper versions, would limit the usefulness to those outside the Capital Beltway. However, he noted, those people may be less likely to take advantage of such passes because their stations aren’t as well connected as in the District or Arlington, leaving them fewer transit options for using the system on weekends or off-hours.
