Customers of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority can now tap a contactless credit/debit card or a mobile wallet/smartwatch virtual card for rail fares.
In the future, the new “Tap-Ride-Go” solution will be available for use on Metrobuses and at Metro parking facilities in the future. Meanwhile, SmarTrip cards, both physical and mobile, will continue to be an option to pay for fares and parking.
The new way to pay is designed to benefit tourists and occasional customers who want to avoid fare machines and SmarTrip cards altogether. Customers can simply tap in at a faregate with a contactless credit or debit card and tap out with the same card to pay.
Metro has been working on the Tap-Ride-Go programme since late last year and it was recently launched with help from contractors Littlepay (software overlay), Cubic (tap target readers) and STraffic (faregates).
“Leading the systems integration, the team at Cubic brought forward innovative engineering solutions and relentless focus to ensure the infrastructure was in place and on time,” said Peter Montgomery-Torrellas, president of Cubic Transportation Systems.
“We expect that open payment will offer increased convenience for our customers, especially visitors to our National Capital Region,” said Valerie Santos, chair of Washington Metro Area Transit Authority.
“This innovation is designed to modernise the customer journey and elevate Metro to world-class standards for seamless transportation.”
