View Full Version : New Metro parking proceedures
song219
25 Jun 2004, 11:46 AM
For most games this won't matter, but starting June 28th you will need to pay when you leave Metro stations now anytime from 9am 'til closing. Also you can only pay with SmarTrip cards. Weekends are still free so it will only be a problem for Wednesday games. Of course i gave up driving to Metro stations when i moved into DC.
eric6854
25 Jun 2004, 02:59 PM
Also you can only pay with SmarTrip cards.
Really?? That sux!!
Guess that's one way to keep the collectors from keeping the cash.
fatbastard
25 Jun 2004, 03:21 PM
Guess that's one way to keep the collectors from keeping the cash.That's a convenient "reason" - the real reason is to charge more for parking, collect the parking money for much longer periods of time, and fire their lot employees. There is a story in the Post today, it sounds very confusing, and if I read it right, the card costs you $5, just for the card, then you need to load it with money so you can actually use it. So to park ($3.75 at most lots), it'll cost you $8.75 the first time, and each time after that when you lose your card.
DeKo21DCU
25 Jun 2004, 03:24 PM
That's a convenient "reason" - the real reason is to charge more for parking, collect the parking money for much longer periods of time, and fire their lot employees. There is a story in the Post today, it sounds very confusing, and if I read it right, the card costs you $5, just for the card, then you need to load it with money so you can actually use it. So to park ($3.75 at most lots), it'll cost you $8.75 the first time, and each time after that when you lose your card.
That is correct, I bought the card last week. The thing that kills me, you HAVE to buy the card in order to pay for parking.
Also as an FYI, you can't buy exit fair on the card, but it will let you exit if you don't have enough money on the card, it just puts you in a negative amount.
PizzicatoJive
25 Jun 2004, 03:27 PM
It's horrible, not to mention that you can hardly ever find a parking spot at the metro anyway unless you drive in way early, or decide to shell out another chunk of money for a reserved spot.
Thanks for mentioning the Post article, I'd like to see if they mention any solutions or public outcry.
revelation
25 Jun 2004, 03:39 PM
I've had a Smartrip for a few years now. I really like it because it is much faster than those silly paper fare cards - never gets wrinkled so the gate won't read it or get jammed and a line form behind you...
It is $5 for the card and if you register your card, then they replace it for free if lost or stolen. However, word to the wise: record your Smartrip number somewhere because their database has difficulty doing a name search to get a replacement card.
While I'm not sure of the reasoning behind this move, the Smartrips are a good product. :)
I don't drive so I don't know about the whole parking scene but for an average user, the Smartrips are much better.
MikeLastort2
25 Jun 2004, 03:46 PM
I've had SmarTrip since they were pretty new. Jan lost her purse once, and her SmarTrip was in her wallet inside, and she just put $100 on it the day before. I called Metro, and the stopped the old card from working, and sent a replacement card with a value of $95.00 remaining. It's well worth it.
I don't see how any regular users of Metro could get by without SmarTrip.
However, forcing people to get SmarTrip is stupid. What the hell are they going to do for people who don't live in this area and are just visiting? What if visitors want to ride Metro and park at the station? Stupid idea.
AB727
25 Jun 2004, 05:00 PM
It's not like me to defend Metro, but they almost had no choice. During their last audit they discovered they were short millions of dollars from parking - all due to theft of cash by the employees. And there's almost no other way to fix that problem, or no way that won't cost so much people would clamor for the card method.
It's not like me to defend Metro, but they almost had no choice. During their last audit they discovered they were short millions of dollars from parking - all due to theft of cash by the employees. And there's almost no other way to fix that problem, or no way that won't cost so much people would clamor for the card method.
Actually according to this article Metro made accounting errors and one of the accused thieves has had the charges dropped:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53393-2004Jun18.html
K
AB727
25 Jun 2004, 05:18 PM
Actually according to this article Metro made accounting errors and one of the accused thieves has had the charges dropped:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53393-2004Jun18.html
K
Oops. Then, uh, never mind. Forget I said anything. :)
Sachin
25 Jun 2004, 06:53 PM
I wish we could use EZ Pass on this thing. That would make soooooooooooooo much more sense.
That's the biggest mistake, IMHO, Virginia has made, not adpoting EZ Pass. SmartTag or whatever the hell it's called is for sucks.
Sachin
dcajedi
25 Jun 2004, 11:59 PM
I saw in the Post recently that it's coming, Sachin... it wasn't front-page of the Metro section but it was on Page 2 this past week, I think.1
TOTC
28 Jun 2004, 10:59 AM
Forcing people to get SmarTrip is stupid. What the hell are they going to do for people who don't live in this area and are just visiting? What if visitors want to ride Metro and park at the station? Stupid idea.
Exactly what I was thinking, Mike. More tourists will drive downtown and park in neighborhoods. Great thinking, Muttro Board!
What gets me is that the booths at the exists will be staffed from 9 a.m. to midnight, twice as long as the 3-10 shift from the woman-owned business that staffed the parking garages before.
WHERE'S THE SAVINGS????
fatbastard
28 Jun 2004, 11:05 AM
No booth staffing (except at first probably), it's an automated system, hence no wages paid, and they collect alot more money by increasing the "you must pay" hours - no more free parking at all, and what sounds like a hassle, even to pay - which means I'll drive to DC.
I'm not sure what they meant by "staff members will close the lot when it is full" - even right now, that's automated. The gates count you coming in and out, they know how many cars are in the lot.
AndyMead
28 Jun 2004, 11:10 AM
However, forcing people to get SmarTrip is stupid. What the hell are they going to do for people who don't live in this area and are just visiting? What if visitors want to ride Metro and park at the station? Stupid idea.
Exactly. So if I decide I want to stop at one of the Metro park and ride spots in VA and ride the trains to RKF, I've got to shell out $8.75 before I even get on the train? WTF?
If those things can read "smart cards", you'd think they'd be able to read credit cards. There has to be some accomodation for one-time users. Other than a $5 one-time use penalty. DC is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the country, and there has always been an incentive to keep cars out of the city for congestion and air quality reasons. Now with the constant fears of car bombs (which I can't ever recall there being one in DC), you'd think that creating incentives for people to actually drive into DC would be a bad thing.
GDopplerXT
28 Jun 2004, 11:23 AM
If those things can read "smart cards", you'd think they'd be able to read credit cards.
Not in this case. Smartrip cards are not "swipe" cards with a magnetic strip (like a credit card). Instead, you simply wave the card over the sensor and it registers the transaction.
I've had a smartrip card for quite a while, and even though I'm a more occasional Metro rider than I have been in the past, it's freakin' awesome. I've even given them to other folks as Christmas presents, and have heard from those folks how great they are.
However, I think the smartrip-only parking scheme is really annoying. I'm all for getting rid of those crooked parking attendants, but at the very least, they should also have some machines that accept paper farecards as payment for parking.
OK, you all know the Metro lots are still free on weekends and holidays, right? (So for your Saturday game going nothing has changed).
K
beltwayrob
28 Jun 2004, 01:25 PM
I bought one of those smartrip cards the minute I moved to DC! It's a lot better then those paper things and Metro gauruntees your fare money on the card as long as you register it. And for the $5.00 its worth it. As for the fare increases for the train and parking. For us commuters who rely on it daily it truly sucks! to put it lightly my daily RT from Fairfax to Smithsonian went from $6.70 ($33.50 a week) to now $7.30 ($36.50 a week)! Thank GOD I don't park! As for people complaining, Metro said they received less than 400 emails/letters (Yes, I complained) when they made the announcement that they would be holding hearings and less than 100 people showed up to complain.
Look at it this way, after you buy the card, its still a heck of a lot cheaper than parking at RFK!
Bill-DC
28 Jun 2004, 01:32 PM
With the Smart Trip Card you can take the 436 .05 and .10 cent used farecards you accumulate and toss on your dresser daily and add them into your Smart Trip Card. It takes a little while but it's worth it.
fatbastard
28 Jun 2004, 01:40 PM
It's $1.25 less than parking at RFK (assuming you have a season ticket plan). I wouldn't expect Metro to get alot of complaints ... yet. This will mainly adversely affect people who do not regularly use metro (that word completely sucks!, especially this week). I usually use it sparingly anyway, but this will definitely cut out all of my weekday usage (and since Friday is included, a bit of weekend usage).
I have no problem with the fare increases, still seems pretty reasonable.
Thanx K for reminding me that they won't hold your cars hostage on Saturdays or Sundays (for now).
If you pay for the metro this Saturday you should feel dirty, just for the name :)