DC Metro Targets Bus Fare Evasion

The WMATA says roughly 70 percent of riders do not pay fares.

1 minute read

November 26, 2024, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Red Washington, D.C. Metrobus Circulator bus parked at stop near Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.

Neal / Adobe Stock

After new fare gates reduced fare evasion by 82 percent on the Washington, D.C.-area rail system, WMATA has announced they will take measures to crack down on fare evasion on buses as well.

As Adam Tuss explains for NBC Washington, Metro says roughly 70 percent of bus riders do not pay fares. According to Tuss, “Metro says this whole ramping-up of fare enforcement on buses will be entirely data-driven. That means they will take a look at the Metrobus lines with the highest number of fare evasions and target their resources there.”

Starting the week after Thanksgiving, the agency says it will deploy more uniformed and plainclothes officers, video monitoring, and transit police to ensure passengers pay their fares when they board a bus.

Thursday, November 21, 2024 in NBC Washington

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