Faregates will be upgraded this month at the Silver Spring Metro station, according to an announcement from WMATA.
The upgrades are part of a system-wide replacement of Metrorail’s faregates, launched with a limited pilot at six stations last June. Metro will perform the upgrades overnight, and each station could take up to two weeks to complete.
Metro says that the faregates will have a new look, and customers can expect 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
Metro also says that 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 the replacement of Metro’s first-generation SmarTrip cards that were issued in 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 The cards contain outdated chip technology and will not be compatible with the new faregates.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.
The Forest Glen and Wheaton stations already have the new faregates, according to Metro.
Photo courtesy WMATA