Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 10:32     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Bus is super cheap. I can understand not wanting to pay for metro subway though. I like to take my kids downtown during the week in the summer and I feel like I'm always charged a rush hour fare of $6.50 no matter when I go. $6.5x 3 people x roundtrip= $39 just for a short trip
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 10:30     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:Local governments could give SmartTrip cards to the genuinely poor that would have that local government reimburse WMATA for the fares.

Everyone then has to tap in with a SmartTrip card, and the poor are taken care of.

Problem solved.



Like this program?

https://www.wmata.com/pay/fare-programs/metrolift.html
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 10:29     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Can we make the toll roads free too?


the toll roads were paid for by the toll operators, that's how they're funded. So until they're paid in full, no.


But I don't want to pay the toll.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 10:27     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:Can we make the toll roads free too?


the toll roads were paid for by the toll operators, that's how they're funded. So until they're paid in full, no.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 09:20     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
The issue with free or cheap buses is that you end up with homeless taking them over to sit in there all day long to hang out there. Same thing happens in SF. Then paying customers don’t want to use the buses because they’re dirty and stink, etc.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 09:16     Subject: Re:70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
As an economist, it's actually better for the entire society if you make transportation free. That applies to buses, metro and don't even get me started on how bad the ez-pass system is.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 09:14     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Local governments could give SmartTrip cards to the genuinely poor that would have that local government reimburse WMATA for the fares.

Everyone then has to tap in with a SmartTrip card, and the poor are taken care of.

Problem solved.

Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 09:08     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Metro could simply cut the bus routes where less than X% of riders pay the fare because it is losing too much money.

Running bus routes where riders don't pay the small bus fare is a choice.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 07:48     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:They should put transit police on buses and if people don't pay, get them off the bus and arrest if needed. The bus driver should be focused on driving the bus safely and keeping to a schedule, while others can focus on fare enforcement. If word gets around about people actually getting put off buses or arrested, especially by undercover police, people will pay the fare more often. If people get upset when someone gets put off the bus for non-payment, let them tap their credit card and pay for the person to ride...only arrest if the person refuses to get off the bus or becomes violent. Promote things like kids ride free and the half price fares for snap recipients too.


No one should be criminalized for a $3 bus fare. People are being forced to choose between getting to work and feeding their families vs paying $3 every single day which adds up. Obvs choosing to feed yourself and family is more important. What's so hard to understand?


You can roll your eyes all you want, but theft is a crime.

Now I’ll play your game. You’re telling me that those people who are not paying for bus fares do it because it’s either bus fares or feeding their families? Of the 70% that are not paying there might be, might, be a one or two percentage that really cannot afford it. They’re struggling every day those three dollars a day will make or break them.

The rest are thieves, plain and simple.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 07:30     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I wonder how they are taking these things into account:

1) Kids riding free
2) People with disabilities who ride free
3) Attendants for people with disabilities who ride free

I fit in one of those categories and I would say the majority of people I see on the bus do too.

Also the machines break often


People with disabilities do not ride free, nor do their attendants. The only people who can ride for free are DC school students (who still have to tap their smartrip card so that DC can properly reimburse WMATA) and up to 2 children under 4 per accompanying paying adult.


People who have metro access, which is a program for people with disabilities, receive two cards. One is a metro access card with their photo that allows them ride free on metro and metro bus. They still pay for metro access vehicles.

The second card looks like a regular metro card with a white strip on the end that says PCA which stands for Personal Care Attendant and allows for one person to ride for free providing the two cards are tapped together.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 07:26     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:I wonder how they are taking these things into account:

1) Kids riding free
2) People with disabilities who ride free
3) Attendants for people with disabilities who ride free

I fit in one of those categories and I would say the majority of people I see on the bus do too.

Also the machines break often


People with disabilities do not ride free, nor do their attendants. The only people who can ride for free are DC school students (who still have to tap their smartrip card so that DC can properly reimburse WMATA) and up to 2 children under 4 per accompanying paying adult.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 07:11     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
I wonder how they are taking these things into account:

1) Kids riding free
2) People with disabilities who ride free
3) Attendants for people with disabilities who ride free

I fit in one of those categories and I would say the majority of people I see on the bus do too.

Also the machines break often
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 06:47     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:They should put transit police on buses and if people don't pay, get them off the bus and arrest if needed. The bus driver should be focused on driving the bus safely and keeping to a schedule, while others can focus on fare enforcement. If word gets around about people actually getting put off buses or arrested, especially by undercover police, people will pay the fare more often. If people get upset when someone gets put off the bus for non-payment, let them tap their credit card and pay for the person to ride...only arrest if the person refuses to get off the bus or becomes violent. Promote things like kids ride free and the half price fares for snap recipients too.


No one should be criminalized for a $3 bus fare. People are being forced to choose between getting to work and feeding their families vs paying $3 every single day which adds up. Obvs choosing to feed yourself and family is more important. What's so hard to understand?


Why should people have to work to feed their families?
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 06:28     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Isn't NYC making busses free? At this level of evasion its probably going to cost less money to just make it officially free than bother with readers and spot enforcement.

Probably better for driver retention too.
Anonymous
Post 05/21/2026 06:00     Subject: 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay
Anonymous wrote:They should put transit police on buses and if people don't pay, get them off the bus and arrest if needed. The bus driver should be focused on driving the bus safely and keeping to a schedule, while others can focus on fare enforcement. If word gets around about people actually getting put off buses or arrested, especially by undercover police, people will pay the fare more often. If people get upset when someone gets put off the bus for non-payment, let them tap their credit card and pay for the person to ride...only arrest if the person refuses to get off the bus or becomes violent. Promote things like kids ride free and the half price fares for snap recipients too.


No one should be criminalized for a $3 bus fare. People are being forced to choose between getting to work and feeding their families vs paying $3 every single day which adds up. Obvs choosing to feed yourself and family is more important. What's so hard to understand?