As the third largest heavy rail transit system in the U.S., Metro is committed to improving the customer experience and ensuring the region’s infrastructure remains in a state of good repair. Every day, over one million transactions take place at the nearly 1,200 faregates across Metro’s 98 stations. In support of its commitment to customers, Metro launched a major initiative to upgrade the aging faregate technology throughout its system.

As part of this initiative, Metro began installing new and more modern faregates in the summer of 2021. The new faregate models are made from brush-finished stainless steel and include advanced safety features, modernized displays and allow for quicker pass-through at the gate. The project reached the mid-way point in April 2022 and Metro expects to have faster and more reliable gates at all of its stations by the end of 2022.

This technology investment means that older SmarTrip cards, purchased before 2012, no longer work and must be replaced. To find out if your SmarTrip card needs to be replaced visit wmata.com/cardreplacement or make your trip even more convenient with mobile pay.

A Modernized Experience and Improved Service for Customers

While the faregates will have a new look, customers can expect the same ease of use they are accustomed to with upgraded features such as:

• Larger displays
• Increased safety features, including improved motion sensors
• More handsfree service options through the kiosk-mounted payment validator and mobile payment through Apple and Google Pay

And that’s not all. The new faregate technology will also provide Metro’s station managers with instant access to faregate data, helping improve customer service when SmarTrip card issues arise.

The upgraded technology will require replacement of Metro’s first generation SmarTrip cards, issued 2012 or earlier. The cards contain outdated chip technology and will not be compatible with the new faregates. To learn more and determine if your card needs to be replaced, visit wmata.com/cardreplacement. 

Timeline

New Faregates Coming Soon: 

Pentagon
Potomac Yard

Stations with New Faregates

Addison Road
Anacostia
Archives – Navy Memorial
Arlington Cemetery
Ashburn
Ballston
Benning Road
Bethesda
Braddock Road
Branch Avenue
Brookland - CUA
Capitol Heights
Capitol South
Cheverly
Clarendon
Cleveland Park
College Park-U of Md
Columbia Heights
Congress Heights
Court House
Crystal City
Deanwood
Downtown Largo
Dunn Loring
Dupont Circle
East Falls Church
Eastern Market
Eisenhower Ave
Farragut North (northwest entrance)
Farragut West
Federal Center SW
Federal Triangle
Foggy Bottom - GWU
Forest Glen
Fort Totten
Franconia – Springfield
Friendship Heights
Gallery Place
Georgia Ave-Petworth
Glenmont
Greenbelt
Greensboro
Grosvenor – Strathmore
Herndon
Huntington (north and south entrances)
Innovation Center
Judiciary Square
King Street
L’Enfant Plaza (east and west entrances)
L’Enfant Plaza (north entrance)
Landover
Loudoun Gateway
McLean
McPherson Square
Medical Center
Metro Center
Morgan Boulevard
Mt Vernon Square
Navy Yard-Ballpark
Naylor Road
New Carrollton
NoMa-Gallaudet U
North Bethesda
Pentagon City
Potomac Ave
Prince George's Plaza
Reston Town Center
Rhode Island Ave
Rockville
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
Rosslyn
Shady Grove
Shaw-Howard U
Silver Spring
Smithsonian
Southern Avenue
Spring Hill
Stadium-Armory
Suitland
Takoma
Tenleytown -AU
Twinbrook
Tysons
U Street
Union Station
Van Dorn St
Van Ness-UDC
Vienna
Virginia Square
Washington Dulles International Airport
Waterfront
West Falls Church
West Hyattsville
Wheaton
Wiehle-Reston
Woodley Park

Did you know?

Today’s faregates were installed in the 1990s when the original SmartTrip card was introduced. At that time, many transit systems featured taller or floor-to-ceiling revolving gates – which made some passengers feel less safe and less aware of their surroundings. Metro’s faregates were intentionally designed to sit lower, providing customers with greater visibility into the station interior and eliminating most hidden spaces or blind corners.