MetroAccess is a shared-ride public transportation service for individuals in the
Washington DC Metropolitan Area
The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgi ...
who are unable to use fixed-route public transit due to disability. It is managed by the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United States Con ...
(WMATA) and is operated by various companies that contract to provide the service. "Shared ride" means that multiple passengers may ride together in the same vehicle.
Region covered
The service provides daily trips throughout the Transit Zone in the Washington Metropolitan region. The Transit Zone consists of the District of Columbia, the Maryland counties of
Montgomery County and
Prince George's County
)
, demonym = Prince Georgian
, ZIP codes = 20607–20774
, area codes = 240, 301
, founded date = April 23
, founded year = 1696
, named for = Prince George of Denmark
, leader_title = Executive
, leader_name = Angela D. Alsobrook ...
, the Virginia counties of
Arlington County
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...
and
Fairfax County
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...
, and the cities of
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, Fairfax and
Falls Church
Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area.
Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Churc ...
. Rides are offered in the same service areas and during the same hours of operation as
Metrorail
METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the 12th ...
and
Metrobus. The service is provided by the
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA ), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area. WMATA was created by the United States Con ...
, and is the region's complementary paratransit service offered in accordance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ...
(ADA).
[http://www.wmata.com/accessibility/metroaccess_service/customer_guide.cfm#what] MetroAccess began operation in May 1994, and since then, annual ridership has grown from 200,000 to over 2.4 million passengers.
MetroAccess operates 365 days a year, providing door-to-door, shared rides reserved from one to seven days in advance. Its fares are two times the fastest comparable fixed-route fare, with a maximum fare of $6.50. Customers are required to pay the fare to the driver in cash prior to boarding the vehicle or by using Metro's EZ-Pay Program, the trip origin and destination must be within 3/4 mile of fixed-route service (a bus stop or rail station).
MetroAccess service hours and locations coincide with those of Metro's bus and rail services, with the exception of express routes such as those serving Dulles International Airport.
Eligibility for paratransit service is defined in the ADA as being based on an individual's "inability to use public transit" due to a disability, and in some cases, this inability is a result of either accessible services not being offered at the desired time of travel or the absence of an accessible pathway to a nearby bus stop or rail station. Eligibility determinations are made by MetroAccess' Office of Eligibility.
Metro has worked to encourage and facilitate the use of fixed-route transit by its customers with disabilities. For MetroAccess customers who have an occasional or conditional ability to use existing fixed-route public transit, Metro offers its fixed-route services free of charge. This incentive decreases demand for the more costly paratransit service by shifting disabled customers to existing bus and rail services according to customer choice and ability. Those who do not have an inability to use public transit but who do have a qualifying disability may be eligible for Metro's reduced (half) fare Disability ID card. MetroAccess service is provided by a primary contractor-broker with multiple subcontractors and taxicab providers. It is now the fourth-largest paratransit service in the United States with a fleet of over 650 vehicles and well over 1,000 employees.
In November 2016, MetroAccess replaced its photo ID access card with a personalized
SmarTrip
SmarTrip is a contactless stored-value smart card payment system managed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) uses a compatible payment system called CharmCard. A reciprocity ag ...
card, allowing MetroAccess users to ride buses for free, and use the faregates on Metrorail to take rides at no charge instead of entering via the emergency gate.
References
[MetroAccess Customer Guide http://www.wmata.com/accessibility/metroaccess_service/customer_guide.cfm#what]
{{Transit In DC
Paratransit services in the United States
Bus transportation in Washington, D.C.
Bus transportation in Maryland
Bus transportation in Virginia
1994 establishments in Washington, D.C.