SmarTrip - History

History

SmarTrip was the first contact-less smart card for transit in the United States when WMATA began selling SmarTrip cards on May 18, 1999. By 2004, 650,000 SmarTrip cards were in circulation. On November 12, 2002, the first SmarTrip readers were used on Metrobuses. In May 2004, SmarTrip readers were introduced at parking garage gates. In December 2010, 1,800,000 SmarTrip cards were in use. In February 2011, WMATA replaced the antennas on all Metrorail faregates to improve the speed and range of its the faregates' SmarTrip processing.

In May 2011, WMATA and the District of Columbia Department of Transportation started a pilot project to give students in the DC Public Schools "DC One Cards" which are SmarTrip compatible. The new cards serve as both a student identification card and provide reduced Metro fares during student commuting hours. The cards are intended to address youth behavior problems in Metrorail stations.

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