Transportation

Metro to make bus boarding possible at all doors, aiming to speed up service

Transit agency officials say they will install fare targets near rear doors, cutting down on the time it takes for riders to board

By Justin George
November 23, 2021 at 7:00 a.m. EST

Metro plans to transform its bus fleet next year to allow passengers to enter from both doors, aiming to speed up the boarding process to decrease wait times and delays, transit officials said.

Riders currently board through the front door, where fare boxes are located. Transit officials said all-door boarding would allow passengers to climb aboard faster, making rear doors fully functional, as opposed to serving only as exits.

During most of 2020, Metro closed off front entrances and the first few seats of Metrobuses to protect bus operators from exposure to passengers and the coronavirus. The move forced the transit agency to abandon fare collection, contributing to historic revenue losses for the agency.

Metro said the addition of fare targets at rear entrances would allow it to continue collecting fares if confronted with another health emergency that threatens operators. The targets act like fare boxes that passengers tap with their SmarTrip cards or mobile-fare-equipped cellphones.

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By Justin George
Justin George is a reporter covering national transit and Metro, the D.C.-area public transportation system, for The Washington Post. He previously covered criminal justice for the Marshall Project and the Baltimore Sun. Twitter https://twitter.com/justingeorge