Metro fares are set to increase on Sunday ahead of the transit agency’s new operating budget, which will take effect on July 1.
Bus and base rail fares will increase by 12.5 percent, from $2 to $2.25, and the maximum rail fare will rise from $6 to $6.75. Late-night and weekend fares will no longer have a flat rate of $2; they will vary between $2.25 and $2.50 based on the distance traveled.
Monthly unlimited passes will cost between $72 and $216.
- 1-day unlimited passes will cost $13.50;
- 3-day unlimited passes will be $33.75;
- 7-day short-trip unlimited passes will be $40.50;
- 7-day unlimited passes will be $60.75; and
- 7-day regional bus-only passes will be $13.50.
Parking fees will remain unchanged.
Bicycle lockers now have an hourly rental feature, with rates of 5 cents an hour up to $1.00 per day. MetroAccess fares will be capped at $4.50, up from the previous $4; discount programs like MetroLift and senior discounts will still offer 50 percent off regular fares.
Reminder to all Metro customers: fare increases go into effect systemwide on June 30. Slight changes in pricing across Metro help maintain the transportation you depend on—with no cuts in service! Learn more about fare changes: https://t.co/xfCRcekuzS #wmata pic.twitter.com/rXWmLA1MRN
— Metro Forward (@wmata) June 24, 2024
According to The Washington Post, these are Metro’s first significant fare hikes since 2017. Last year, the agency implemented a modest increase to its distance-based rail rates.
The fare increases will be implemented as five Metro stations — Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen, Silver Spring, and Takoma — closed earlier this month for Purple Line construction and Red Line maintenance and repair until the end of August. This condenses eight months of weekend closures and disruptions into the summer months, as part of Metro’s three-year capital construction project schedule announced last February.
The Takoma station reopened this morning, two days ahead of its original June 30 schedule.
Additionally, Metro has partnered with Downtown Silver Spring to offer exclusive deals at over fifteen shops and restaurants during the Red Line closures. Shoppers presenting their SmarTrip Card or mobile app at participating merchants will receive exclusive shutdown deals, which will be updated throughout the summer months.
More information about the summer SmarTrip deals is available on the Downtown Silver Spring website.
Photo: © MelissaMN – stock.adobe.com