More than 1,200 five-foot-tall gates and taller fences have been installed across all stations. The agency also improved its fare boxes across its bus fleet.
Fare evasion increased to record levels during the pandemic, leading to a loss of $40 million of fare revenue a year. WMATA relies on those fares to help keep buses, trains, and MetroAccess services running.
The improvements have led to an 82% drop in fare evasion in the Metrorail system.
Ad Loading...
Completion of the Fare Gate Project
More than 1,200 five-foot-tall gates and taller fences have been installed across all stations. The project began in July 2023.
“We have seen incredible results from the taller faregates,” said WMATA GM/CEO Randy Clarke. “We are never going to completely stop fare evasion, but these go a long way in addressing the problem.”
WMATA also recently completed the installation of new fareboxes across all 1,500 of its buses.
Customers often could not pay on buses because of farebox malfunctions. Metro Transit Police regularly patrol bus loops and individual bus routes to enforce payment.
Preventing Fare Evasion
Fare evasion is one of customers’ biggest concerns, according to WMATA surveys. Customers said it made them feel unsafe and that it was unfair to those who paid fares.
Ad Loading...
“Tackling fare evasion has been one of the board of directors top priorities,” said WMATA Board Finance and Capital Committee Chair Matt Letourneau. “Not only does fare evasion cost us badly needed revenue, but it is also fundamentally unfair to all our customers who pay their hard-earned money.”
Metro Transit Police continue to patrol stations for fare evasion and have written more than 10,000 fare evasion citations so far this year. That’s nearly three times the number of tickets written through the same period last year and 2,000 more citations than all of 2019.
Revenue from the tickets goes to the local governments.
Fare evasion is one of customers’ biggest concerns, according to WMATA surveys. Customers said it made them feel unsafe and that it was unfair to those who paid fares.
Photo: WMATA
Fare Enforcement Success, Help for Those Who Need It
So far this year, MTPD has arrested more than 250 individuals stopped for fare evading and found to have open warrants. Police have also recovered 16 guns.
Fare evasion increased to record levels during the pandemic, leading to a loss of $40 million of fare revenue a year. Metro relies on those fares to help keep buses, trains, and MetroAccess services running.
Ad Loading...
For those who need help paying, WMATA has several fare discount programs.
Nearly 8,500 people have signed up for Metro Lift, a half-off fare program launched in June 2023 for low-income individuals enrolled in SNAP. Those over age 65 are eligible for half-off fares with a Senior SmarTrip card. D.C. students are eligible for the Kids Ride Free program.
The EPA is proposing to remove DEF-related engine derates for new heavy-duty diesel vehicles, a change bus operators say would improve safety and reliability while sparking debate over the future of emissions enforcement.
The partnership gives Better Futures Scholars hands-on experience with real-world challenges while providing VIA with additional analytical capacity to support key agency priorities.
During its first year of operation, NAVI has transported over 15,200 passengers and traveled more than 61,000 miles in autonomous mode without a safety incident caused by the autonomous driving system.
Available through the MBTA mTicket app, the new offering enables eligible match attendees to purchase transportation tickets for dedicated services to Boston Stadium.
The order directs state agencies to streamline transit project delivery, improve coordination, and expand access to bus and passenger rail services across California.
From manufacturers and suppliers to transit agencies and motorcoach operators, these updates offer a snapshot of the projects, partnerships and business moves driving the industry forward.
From digital transformation to evolving customer demands, CharterUP's Armir Harris offers his perspective on the transportation industry's next chapter.
