WASHINGTON (7News) — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is preparing a major crackdown on fare evasion aboard Metrobus vehicles across the D.C. region, after transit leaders revealed nearly 70% of riders are not paying the fare.
Metro officials said the growing problem is costing the transit system an estimated $50 million annually in lost revenue and prompting a new enforcement and awareness campaign set to ramp up after the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
According to WMATA, the agency now has one of the highest bus fare evasion rates among major transit systems in the country.
“We are among large transit agencies in the country, certainly the highest in terms of fare evasion or non payment,” Metro Chief Planning and Performance Officer Tom Webster said during a recent WMATA board meeting.
Metro General Manager Randy Clarke called the current situation “completely unacceptable” and said the agency plans to increase the visibility of Metro Transit Police officers on buses and throughout the system.
As part of the new policy, Metrobus operators will begin verbally reminding riders about the fare as they board by saying, “The fare is $2.25.”
“Simple thing, but what we are going to ask our operators to do is a phrase similar to this: ‘Good morning, the fare is $2.25,’” Clarke said at the board meeting. “They are not supposed to go, ‘Hey get off the bus,’ any engagement, all that kind of stuff.”
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Metro officials stress bus operators will not be responsible for enforcement. Instead, transit police officers will handle fare enforcement efforts. Clarke also acknowledged what he described as inconsistent fare policies across the region, including free local bus systems operating alongside Metrobus routes that still require payment.
“It is more than just confusion and education, where one agency says free fare is good and one agency at the same bus bay is charging a fare,” Clarke said.
The agency says the campaign is focused on both education and enforcement as Metro works to recover revenue while also improving safety across the transit system.
In recent years, WMATA has invested heavily in anti-fare evasion measures, including taller rail faregates at all 98 Metrorail stations and the installation of new fareboxes on approximately 1,500 Metro buses. Metro says the upgraded rail fare gates helped reduce rail fare evasion by more than 80%.
But Metro’s largest union is warning that the new bus policy could put operators at risk.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, which represents Metrobus drivers, has strongly criticized the plan, arguing that even verbal fare reminders could escalate into confrontations with riders. Union leaders say bus operators have previously been assaulted during fare disputes, even with protective barriers installed around driver seats.
Metro says overall crime on buses has declined, but union leaders continue to urge WMATA to keep all fare enforcement responsibilities strictly in the hands of Metro Transit Police.
The fare evasion crackdown comes as Metro continues pushing broader efforts to improve reliability, safety and ridership throughout the transit system without raising fares.
