As Metro plans to eliminate its paper bus-to-bus transfers on Jan. 4, other local transit agencies are now considering doing the same.
Other local transit agencies as considering following Metro’s lead in eliminating paper bus-to-bus transfers.
Arlington officials are seeking public input Saturday as they consider ending paper transfers on county ART bus system, while D.C. Circulator officials said on Monday that they planned to drop the paper transfers when Metro does, on Jan. 4.
Metro has said ending its paper transfer system would save the transit agency about $5 million annually. The switch would reduce costs of printing the slips and stem fraud among riders who sell or give out transfer slips.
The elimination of paper transfers means that riders need to use plastic SmarTrip fare cards to receive discounts when they transfer from bus to rail or back.
Riders with cards would be able to continue to transfer for free from bus to bus within an expanded window of time, up from two hours to three.
Those transferring from Metrobus to rail, or rail to Metrobus within that three-hour window will receive a 50-cent discount when they pay their fares with a SmarTrip card.
Under the new plan, D.C. Circulator riders using SmarTrip cards would also receive a 50-cent discount when transferring to or from rail in the three-hour period — or free transfers when moving between the $1 Circulator buses.
But under the new plan, Circulator buses will not accept MARC or VRE commuter passes as transfers.
The ART transit system, meanwhile, is proposing a similar system with riders receiving a discount when transferring with a SmarTrip card.
