Metro's FY17 Budget Includes Customer-Requested Grace Period to Exit Stations at no Charge

Metro GM/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld's FY17 budget, which was approved today by the WMATA Board's Finance Committee, will give customers something they have long requested: the ability to exit the same station they entered without being charged.

If approved by the full Board of Directors at a subsequent meeting, the new policy would take effect July 1 and permit riders who enter a station, particularly during a service disruption, to exit the same station within 15 minutes without being charged the base rail fare of $2.15 in the peak and $1.75 in the off-peak.

“This is all about refocusing on our customers and recognizing that everything we do should be focused on safety and service reliability,” said Metro General Manager/CEO Paul J. Wiedefeld. “I am pleased that the Board supported this policy, which is directly responsive to customer feedback."

The proposed FY17 operating budget was approved by Metro’s Finance and Administration Committee meeting today without raising fares for customers, reducing service or increasing subsidies from local jurisdictions. The operating budget now moves to the Board of Directors for their consideration.

The implementation of the new grace period policy is also outlined in GM/CEO Wiedefeld's Customer Accountability Report (CARe) as it relates to improving Metro’s service reliability and the overall customer experience.