Metro Fare Increase Approved By Board Committee

WASHINGTON -- Going into Thursday's meeting of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's finance committee meeting, it was known that commuter fares were going to increase. Now we know just how much it is going to cost to go from Point A to Point B.

Tourists and other riders using paper farecards will see the biggest jump: A $1 surcharge on any one-way trip.

According to the Examiner, under the new plan, which will likely be approved by the full WMATA Board of Directors later this month, peak Metrorail fares using SmarTrip will increase anywhere from the $1.95-to-$5 range to the $2.10-to-$5.75 range, depending on distance traveled. Off-peak Metrorail fares for SmarTrip users will jump from the $1.60-to-$2.75 range to the $1.70-to-$3.50 range, depending on distance traveled.

Metrobus fares paid will a SmarTrip card will increase from $1.50 to $1.60 a ride. Bus riders using cash will pay $1.80 a ride,

After the full board votes on the new fare plan on Aug. 26, it will take roughly 60 days to implement the new fare structure, test computer systems and update signs, according to The Washington Post.

Board members also OK'd a new $230 28-day pass for unlimited use on Metrorail and Metrobus, the first of its kind for the transit agency.