Editor’s Note: Metro confirmed Thursday it is now working with the Presidential Inaugural Committee to design special sleeves for the new inauguration-themed SmarTrip cards. Read more here.
WASHINGTON — Metro is now selling special-edition versions of its SmarTrip payment cards to commemorate the upcoming presidential inauguration.
The cards, which sell for $10 and provide unlimited Metro access the day of the inauguration, feature an image of the White House against a red-white-and-blue flag backdrop.
Notably absent? Any reference to the soon-to-be 45th president of the United States: Donald Trump.
The 2013 and 2009 inauguration-edition SmartTrip cards both featured a smiling image of President Barack Obama.
In an emailed statement to WTOP, Metro said it requested permission to use a photo of Trump but didn’t receive a reply from his campaign. “Due to the long lead time to produce the cards, the new pass commemorates the national celebration of the 58th Presidential Inauguration,” the agency stated.
In addition to unlimited trips on Jan. 20, after the inauguration, riders can reload cash onto the card and use it like any other SmarTrip card.
Metro is encouraging travelers to buy cards online ahead of time so they can skip crowds at station vending machines.
Metro says the system will open early at 4 a.m. on Inauguration Day and will provide “rush-hour” service on all lines until 9 p.m. that day. There is no scheduled track work during the week of the inauguration.
In 2012, Metro released designs of its inauguration-edition SmarTrip cards before the election, including one featuring Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s visage.
