Weekly Bus Pass Gets Smart
Starting October 17, customers will be able to load a 7-Day Regional Bus Pass directly onto their SmarTrip card. This will make it possible for customers to buy multiple passes at a time and provide more flexibility for when the passes can be used.
Unlike paper bus passes that are valid from Sunday through Saturday, the 7-Day Bus Pass on SmarTrip will activate the first day a customer uses the pass and will be valid for seven consecutive days. Customers will also be able to load two bus passes at a time onto their SmarTrip card. Once the first pass is activated and expires, the second pass will be ready to activate.
Bus passes on SmarTrip will be valid for seven consecutive days of unlimited travel on regular Metrobus and regional routes, including ART, DASH, DC Circulator, CUE, Fairfax Connector, Ride On and TheBus.
The cost of the 7-Day Bus Pass on SmarTrip will be the same as the paper version: $15 for the regular bus pass and $7.50 for seniors and those who are disabled. If you already have money on your SmarTrip card, that's fine. Bus fareboxes are programmed to read a bus pass first and the fare will not be deducted from other money on your card. Bus passes can not be loaded onto a SmarTrip card that has a negative balance.
Paper passes will continue to be sold through the end of December with the last available paper bus pass expiring Saturday, January 1, 2011.
Customers will be able to add the 7-Day Bus Pass to their SmarTrip card at any Metro sales office, regional transit store (such as the Commuter Stores), select CVS Pharmacies and Giant Food stores or at select retail outlets.
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