SmarTrip

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The SmarTrip card is a plastic contactless stored-value smart card used for payment within the Washington Metro system of Washington, D.C. Unlike traditional paper farecards, it is designed to be permanent and reloadable, and as of 2004 can be used in all Metrorail stations, and on all Metrobuses. Additionally, as of June 28, 2004, SmarTrip is the only way to pay for parking fees at Metro-operated lots. SmarTrip can also be used on the DC Circulator. Other regional bus systems in neighboring Virginia and Maryland have adopted SmarTrip readers due to its success on WMATA Metrobuses.

Contents 1 Overview 2 Parking 3 Participating systems 3.1 Future participants 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Overview

SmarTrip cards are roughly the same size as a credit card or driver's license. The card is touched to a circular target on the top or side of each exit gate rather than inserted into a slot, affording some speed and convenience over the paper farecard. Additionally, it is usually not necessary to remove the card from a wallet or purse before touching the Smartrip target. In the Metrorail system, touching the card will display the value remaining as the faregate opens, both when entering and exiting. On Metrobuses, the farebox will audibly beep and display the value. In all cases, the appropriate fare is deducted automatically, accounting for any applicable transfers and discounts.

The cards can be purchased at at Metro sales facilities at the Metro Center and Pentagon stations, from vending machines at most stations, and online. Their purchase price includes $5 for the card itself plus an initial fare value, which varies depending on where they are purchased: cards purchased at stations cost $10 ($5 for the card and $5 fare value), while those purchased online cost $30 ($5 for the card and $25 fare value). The cards can be reloaded using farecard vending machines equipped with a SmarTrip target and can store up to $300 in value at one time.

Currently, all trips made with a SmarTrip card are charged as individual one-way fares. Customers making several trips in one day, or many trips in a seven-day period, must purchase a pass in the form of a paper farecard to benefit from the lowest fares. This is in contrast to the Oyster card system on the London Underground, for example, where fares are automatically capped to ensure that customers never pay more than the cost of a one-day pass each day.

As the Exitfare machines currently do not accept SmarTrip, riders with insufficient value to pay their fare are allowed to exit the system with a negative balance. This negative balance must, however, be paid before the card may be used again to enter the system. One may not exit a Metro parking facility with a negative balance on the SmarTrip card; the card must contain sufficient value to pay the full fee in order to exit the Metro parking lot.

A microchip contained within the card stores its value, as well as the rider's most recent entry and exit points, and a unique identifier. However, the unique identifier is not linked to a person's name or identity, unless one registers their cards online. Registering SmarTrip cards allows one to recover the card balance value (minus the five-dollar cost for a new card), should the card be lost, stolen, or damaged. The unique identifier also allows workers enrolled in the SmartBenefits program to receive their monthly benefit automatically to their SmarTrip card.

SmarTrip cards have conditions of use and instructions on the back; on the front is a stylized picture of a railcar and a bus in front of representations of the Washington Monument, United States Capitol, and stylized versions of classical architecture found in Washington DC. The Metro logo appears in the bottom left.

The SmarTrip system was built and designed by Cubic Transportation Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of San Diego-based Cubic Corporation.

[edit] Parking

In a controversial move, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced that as part of a new cashless parking payment system, SmarTrip would be the only way to pay for parking at Metro-operated garages and lots effective June 28, 2004, after reports of widespread theft of cash by Metro's parking contractor, Penn Parking.^[1] This prompted cries that Metro was inconveniencing its many customers, including tourists and other infrequent users, who did not own a SmarTrip card. In response, Metro installed special SmarTrip card vending machines at all stations with parking facilities to make the cards more readily available. However, temporary shortages of cards were experienced immediately following the system's implementation.^[2][3]

SmarTrip cards are not required for parking at Metro stations on weekends, holidays, and other special events, as parking fees are only charged on normal weekdays.^[4]

In April 2007, in response to customer complaints about the limitations of parking payment options, WMATA began testing the use of credit cards to pay for parking at six Metro stations, avoiding the need for SmarTrip cards at these sites. The sites are Anacostia on the Green Line, Shady Grove on the Red Line, Vienna/Fairfax-GMU and New Carrollton on the Orange Line, and Franconia-Springfield and Largo Town Center on the Blue Line.^[5] Each has one exit lane that accepts credit card payments through a credit card reader next to the existing SmarTrip card target reader.^[6]

[edit] Participating systems

• DC Circulator
• Driving Alexandrians Safely Home (DASH; Alexandria), as of February 2007^[7][8]
• Fairfax Connector (Fairfax County), as of May 2007^[7][9]
• Metrobus
• Metrorail (trains and parking)
• Ride On (Montgomery County), as of April 2007^[7][10]
• City-University-Energysaver (CUE; City of Fairfax), as of June 2007^[7]
• Arlington Transit (ART)^[11]
• Loudoun County Commuter Bus^[11]
• Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC, OmniLink, OmniRide, Metro Direct; Prince William County), as of March 3, 2008

[edit] Future participants

• Maryland Transit Administration services (light rail, subway, buses, and MARC) via compatibility with the Maryland Transit Pass
• Virginia Railway Express will be integrating SmarTrip into their current fare collection system. It will be accepted as a form of payment for printed tickets, but not directly aboard trains.^[12]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• SmarTrip home page
• Metro online sales
• ERG Transit Systems (USA) Inc. - Washington DC project at the Internet Archive
• Cubic Transportation Systems
• Post article about proposed fare changes

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