Metro says it has no idea when — or even if — it will be able to put a SmarTrip discount in place.

During a tense board meeting Thursday, Metro Board members talked about the issue, but could not find a solution.

“This is an embarrassment,” said Board Member Jim Graham, who represents D.C. “I think we should move off this agenda item. With every passing minute, this looks worse.”

I’m concerned about Metro Board considering changes when they are on the receiving end of “bad information”:

More trouble was revealed during the meeting. Metro Board Chair Peter Benjamin said that the decision to lower the price of the card was based on bad information. Initially, board members thought that the cost (to the transit agency) of producing a SmarTrip card was around $2 or $2.50. Benjamin revealed that the actual cost is more like $3.40.

So…the proposed discounting of the cards to $2.50 wouldn’t even cover the cost of  manufacturing it. Got it. That’s nothing compared to this shocking news:

Benjamin also said the current inventory of SmarTrip cards will last only for the next two years. After that, the technology used to produce the cards of today will be no more. No solutions for a transition to a ‘next generation’ SmarTrip card were presented.

I’d keep writing but I need to go to CVS to stand in an extra-long line so that I can start hoarding SmarTrips.

nevermindtheend

This SmarTrip card is in the red...thanks to a sharpie.

Last week, I posted about having your say regarding Metro’s proposal to no longer allow negative balances on SmarTrip cards. The whole reason Metro considered changing the current system, which allows riders to exit even if they don’t have enough money on their card to cover metro fare was because of a proposal to lower the cost of a SmarTrip card from $5 to $2.50, in order to make the plastic fare card more accessible and affordable. Laudable goal, right?

Well, yes, but officials at Metro then theorized that people could abuse the system by purchasing a card and taking a ride which cost more than $2.50. That’s why they considered eliminating negative balances. What they didn’t consider was how complicated this would all become. For example, there were no plans to change the Exit Fare machines to accept credit cards– they are cash only. That was one of the reasons why negative balances were allowed in the first place; the machines for adding value to SmarTrip cards are beyond the fare gates.

Now Metro is considering scrapping the price cut (Via The Examiner):

Mr. T in DC

Mr. T in DC's SmarTrip Card

Greater Greater Washington‘s founder, David Alpert, (who, incidentally, is the subject of a cover story on “Smart Growth” for the latest edition of the City Paper) is calling on readers to go over six possible alternatives to WMATA’s plan to no longer allow SmarTrip cards to have a negative balance.

WMATA raised the hackles of many riders when it announced SmarTrips would no longer go negative. Responding to the outcry, CFO Carol Kissal and her team developed six alternatives for handing the issue, which they presented to the Riders’ Advisory Council last night.

RAC members complimented Kissal and her team on presenting a number of options and seeking rider feedback. While it would have been better to get more feedback before the initial announcement, the followup garnered more praise. The WMATA Board will discuss the issue on September 16th.

Options include rebates, capping the negative balance, requiring a minimum fare to enter and three more possibilities which are laid out in detail at GGW. I’m not going to lie– my head was spinning a bit by the time I got through the post, but it’s an important read because Alpert is going to compile comments and send them to Carol Kissal. Have your say, here.

Metro will charge Metrorail riders an extra 20 cents on weekdays between 7:30 and 9 a.m.

A 20-cent charge between 4:30 and 6 p.m. was put into place earlier this month.