Metro Fare Increase: Here's How Much It'll Cost PG County Riders

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — The inevitable is happening: Metro is increasing your fares, and now we know exactly how much. But what does it mean for riders in New Carrollton, College Park, Largo, Greenbelt, and other Prince George's County locations?

Metro reportedly will move forward with a plan to increase fares while cutting back service as it seeks to close a massive $290 million budget gap in the upcoming fiscal year. Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld called it "tough medicine for the region" in a statement released on Monday.

So what does that mean for you, the Metro rider? It means you'll be paying an extra 10 cents each time you board a train during peak hours, and an extra 25 cents during off-peak hours. In more specific terms, the base peak fare goes from $2.15 to $2.25, and the base off-peak fare goes from $1.75 to $2.00.

So if you take Metro to and from work five days per week, that amounts to about an extra $4 per month you'll have to pay in fares, or about $50 per year. If you ride during off-peak hours five days per week, you'll be out an extra $10 per month, or about $120 per year.

Translated for PG County riders, that means if you take the Blue or Silver Line from Largo Town Center to L'Enfant Plaza in D.C. for work, you'll pay $4.40 each way during peak fare times instead of $4.30. Over the course of a month, instead of paying $172, it'll cost you $176. And if you're riding during off-peak hours, instead of $134, you'll pay $144 for daily trips back and forth.

In another example, if you take the Green Line from Greenbelt to L'Enfant, you'll pay $4.95 each way during peak fare times instead of $4.85. Over the course of a month, instead of paying $194, it'll cost you $198. And if you're riding during off-peak hours, instead of $144, you'll pay $154 for daily trips back and forth.

For riders who must deal with constant outages, problems, and breakdowns, that's a big price increase for an already expensive system. However, Metro officials say they have no other choice.

“Metro listened very carefully to our customers who said they would prefer to pay a little more than lose key rail and bus services,” said Wiedefeld. “I recognize that even with some relief for customers, this proposal is tough medicine for the region, jurisdictions, riders, and Metro employees, all of whom must contribute to balance this budget.”

The proposal will be put to a vote by the board's finance committee before going before the full board later this month, according to a Washington Post report.

Image via WMATA