WASHINGTON — Monday night’s snow left the D.C. area blanked Tuesday morning. With the weather impact and fewer riders due to the federal government being closed, Metro opted to run a Saturday schedule.
But despite the reduced service, riders were still charged the regular rate.
According to Metro spokesman Dan Stessel, there’s a simple explanation.
“(The fare is) not tied to a particular level of service, it’s tied to the time of day.”
Not everyone finds the response satisfactory.
Alan Dodkowitz, a rider who waited until after the off-peak time to travel, said, “They see how poorly the Metro is run even when there’s not specific issue like there is today. There’s breakdowns all the time. And people don’t want to pay the full fair.”
Another woman said she understood.
“I guess it’s fare because there’s going to be so many fewer riders today,” she said.
Ultimately, Stessel says, the fares are dictated by the tariff. The number of running trains has no impact on costs to riders — only the time of day.
WTOP’s Dennis Foley contributed to this report.
