MetroAccess Frequently Asked Questions

• What is MetroAccess?
• What is a shared-ride service?
• How much does it cost to ride MetroAccess?
• How can I get an application?
• When can I reserve a trip?
• When is the service available?
• Besides cash, what else will the MetroAccess driver accept as fare?
• Does MetroAccess come to my area?
• I need help getting up the stairs leading to my house. Can the MetroAccess driver assist me?
• My driver always arrives early. Can the driver leave me if I'm not ready?
• Why is it that some drivers wear uniforms and some do not?
• Why do I always have to share a ride with other people?
• Can I call MetroAccess for a ride to the hospital if I need immediate medical attention?
• I don't like vans. Can I get a taxi for every trip?
• What happens if I can't get a reservation for the time I want?
• I would like to use MetroAccess to travel to the grocery store. Will the driver help me with the bags?
• I have never used Metrorail or Metrobus. Who can I call for help?
• What is InstantAccess?
• How do I know when the MetroAccess driver has arrived?

MetroAccess is a shared-ride paratransit public transportation service. This WMATA service provides accessible transportation to people with disabilities who are unable to use accessible fixed route service such as Metrobus or Metrorail.

It means that when you are picked up, you may be sharing the vehicle with other customers and you may not be the first to arrive at your destination.

The minimum fare is $2.50 and the maximum fare is $6.50. If your pick-up or drop-off location is more than 3/4 of a mile from the nearest bus stop, $1 is added to your fare for every three miles beyond that point. Fare must be paid with either cash or Metro tokens.

You can download the application or call 301-562-5360 (press 4 for the Eligibility Office) and we will happy to mail you an application. Once completed and certified by a health care professional, mail it to:

MetroAccess
8405 Colesville Road Building 3
Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Trips can be scheduled from one to 7 days in advance of the day you want to travel. The Reservations Office is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Core hours of MetroAccess operation reflect the hours of operation of Metro's fixed-route services, Metrorail and Metrobus. Reservations outside of those hours can be made if fixed-route service is offered at the same time and along the requested route of MetroAccess travel. Trips outside of the core hours of operation may be scheduled with a reservationist in the same manner as trips during the core hours.

You can pay your fare using Metrobus tokens, which are worth $1.25 each.

For the regular fare of $2.50, MetroAccess travels to any location in the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryalnd, Arlington and Fairfax counties, the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax and Falls Church in Virginia, that is within 3/4 of a mile of any regular fixed-route service operated by Metrorail, Metrobus or any of the above local jurisdictions. A surcharge of $1 is added to your fare for every three miles beyond that point.

Unfortunately, no. MetroAccess is curb-to-curb public transportation. Drivers are required to assist all customers to and from the curb with boarding and exiting, including securing wheelchairs, as needed. Drivers are also expected to get out of the vehicle and announce their arrival at the curb especially if their passengers are blind or have low vision.

While your driver may arrive prior to the scheduled pickup window, you are not required to board the vehicle until the window begins. You can board the vehicle early if you like but it is not required. The driver is required to wait 10 minutes into the pick-up window before he or she can leave.

Drivers are required to be in uniform with their identification card visible. If you have doubt about the identify of your driver, call a MetroAccess dispatcher to verify the driver’s identity.

We strive to serve as many customers as possible and shared rides are the only way to accomplish this. Vehicle types vary depending upon the accessibility requirements of customers who may be grouped on the same manifest because of where and when they are traveling.

MetroAccess is not a substitute for an ambulance. If you have an emergency, please call 911.

MetroAccess cannot accommodate requests for any specific vehicle type. We need the flexibility to use any MetroAccess vehicle throughout the service area and cannot do this if we assign vehicles according to preference instead of mobility status.

If we cannot provide a trip at your requested travel times, the reservationist will work with you to select another time within one hour of your requested time.

Drivers must assist you, upon request, between the vehicle and the curb with no more than two packages totaling up to 40 pounds.

Training can be provided on using specific routes, stops and stations. Please call Metro’s Office of ADA Programs at 202-962-1100 or TTY 202-962-2033.

Using InstantAccess, you can confirm or cancel your trips using the keypad on your touch–tone telephone. Call 301-562-5360 (press 3 for InstantAccess) and use your MetroAccess ID number as your user name, and your birth date (mm/dd/yyyy) as your password (example: 01/01/1958).

Our computer will call you on the telephone when your driver arrives. The call can be sent to any phone number (including your cell phone). We can even call you on a different phone number for every pick-up. Just tell the agent when you make your reservation.

MetroAccess Paratransit