Arlington Approves New Fare Structure
New fares for ART and STAR service
The Arlington County Board approved a new fare structure for ART (Arlington Transit), and STAR (Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents) bus and paratransit services. This is the first base fare increase for ART since 2004, and first fare increase for STAR since 2006. Since that time, ART ridership has doubled, creating a greater demand on the local transit system. The new fare structure is designed to offset the growth, and help mitigate rising contract and fuel costs. “Each year, we are seeing a marked increase in local transit ridership,” said Arlington Board Chairman Jay Fisette. “This fare adjustment is needed to maintain the safety and level of service that our riders have come to expect from Arlington’s transit services.”
Arlington’s proposal follows a recent decision by Washington Metropolitian Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to increase fares for its Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess services. Historically, Arlington County transit fare increases follow those of WMATA and are consistent with those of the region’s other transit providers. Contrary to WMATA’s plan, however, the County will eliminate a cash surcharge for ART passengers, capping the fare at $1.50. The cash surcharge creates a potential hardship for cash-paying customers who have limited resources. New ART fares are effective July 1, 2010.
New Fare Structure
Under the new fare structure, ART bus fares will increase from $1.25 with a SmarTrip card to $1.50 effective July 1. The tiered-fare structure established in 2006 for the STAR paratransit system will also be adjusted as follows as of July 12:
- $2.50 to $3.00 for local trips (Zone 1)
- $3.00 to $4.00 for trips inside the Beltway (Zone 2)
- $7.00 to $8.50 for regional trips (Zone 3)
STAR fares are effective July 12, 2010.
Arlington County Board Members also approved a proposal that reserves the right of County staff to create a weekly pass for ART riders in the event that WMATA, ART and other regional providers are unable to come to an earned revenue reimbursement agreement for the WMATA weekly flash pass. This will ensure that ART receives revenue for rides provided to weekly pass users.
Continued Demand for Transit
Since its inception in 1998, ART ridership has grown from 100,000 to more than 1.9 million riders annually. To meet the growing demand, ART now operates and maintains 20 heavy duty, low floor accessible buses. By October 2010, ART will add 12 similar new buses providing an enhanced travel experience for most riders.
Through STAR and MetroAccess, Arlington offers residents the most extensive array of paratransit services in the Washington Metropolitan region. During the fiscal year 2010, STAR provided more than 81,000 trips to Arlington residents and over 21,000 by MetroAccess.
