Using the D.C. Metro System

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Metro Use-Start to Finish

Finding the Metro Station
Tall brown columns with a large "M" identify the station entrances. Color stripes on the column show lines that serve the station.

Accessible Metro
All trains and stations are accessible. Station managers and rail station employees have received ADA Customer Service Training and are ready to assist people with disabilities. Street level elevator locations and directions are on street pylons directing customers to accessible entrances. The directions on these pylons are at low height for wheelchair users. Extra-wide faregates offer easy access for wheelchair users. Rubber gap reducers decrease the gap between the platform and the train by 1.5 inches, making boarding easier and safer. Once on board, priority seating for customers with disabilities is located next to the doors. Inside the rail stations, directional signage to the elevator is located on wall- mounted station signs and on information pylons on all platforms.

Cost:
$1.35 minimum
$3.90 maximum

How to Pay
Use the farecards vending machine inside the station.
1. Put your money in the slot.
2. Press the minus (-) or plus (+) button until the value you want is displayed.
3. Press the push for farecard button and remove your farecard. Your change will be returned in coins near the bottom of the machine.

Using the Faregates
Enter the station through the faregates with the green and white arrows. Insert your farecard (face up with the arrow pointed toward the gate) into the slot on the front panel of the faregate. Take your farecard from the slot to open the gate. The card will come out on top of the faregate. If you are entering through a wide faregate, the card comes back out the slot you inserted it into. When you arrive at your destination, use your farecard the same way you did to enter the station. Your fare is automatically deducted when you exit, and your farecard is returned if any value remains. If your farecard does not have enough fare to exit, you'll need to add money at the Exitfare machine.

Waiting for the Train
Signs in the station tell you which train platform to use for your destination. Wait behind the bumpy tiles along the platform's edge.Electronic signs in stations and flashing lights along the platform edge signal a train's arrival.

Boarding the Train
Check the destination of the train posted above the side windows. Stay clear of the train car doors and let riders get off before you board. Watch the small gap between the platform and the train. Listen for the chimes that signal the car doors are closing. If the train is full, step back and wait for the next train. Unlike elevator doors, train doors do not reopen automatically.