For immediate release: December 15, 2023

Metro eliminates $2 SmarTrip card fee for seniors

This week, Metro’s Board of Directors approved the elimination of the $2 fee on Senior SmarTrip® cards. Beginning Tuesday, January 16, 2024, Senior SmarTrip cards will be issued at no cost to customers age 65 and older.

As part of Metro’s ongoing commitment to expand access and affordability to public transit, the Senior SmarTrip program will now join all other Metro reduced fare programs in offering SmarTrip cards at no additional cost. Today, customers must pay $2 to receive the card.

The elimination of the $2 fee removes the need for a third-party payment collection, which is currently a barrier to participation for social service agencies and other organizations to distribute the card.

Eliminating the card fee makes Metro even more affordable for seniors, improves the customer enrollment experience, and enables new partnerships to distribute the cards in the region, which fulfills Metro’s Strategic Transformation Plan.

Because of this change, we are working to expand the number of distribution outlets in the new year. A list of locations where Senior SmarTrip cards are available will continue to be updated at https://wmata.com/reducedfares.

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