Visitors to D.C. for World Pride, the Fourth of July and other summer events won’t have to line up at fare machines to pay for Metro. Starting Wednesday, riders can pay with their credit cards.
“The whole idea is to make things easier, so you don’t have to go to the vending machine, you don’t have to think about a balance,” Metro General Manager Randy Clarke said after using his credit card to go through a fare gate at the Silver Line station at Dulles International Airport for the first time. “Tap and go.”
But SmarTrip cards are not going away yet. Riding the bus, paying for parking, and taking advantage of reduced fares or unlimited passes can still be done only with the Metro fare card. Clarke said Metro hopes to have credit-card payment on buses available by the end of the year, while special passes might take longer.
