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As previously proposed, today the Metro Board approved a temporary decrease in the price of a Day Pass from $6 to $5. The new fare will be available starting August 1st, and is part of a 1-year test to see if cutting the cost will boost ridership on the transit system.Another perk to today's plan approval is that Day Passes loaded onto TAP smart cards will be available for purchase on board Metro buses. An initial purchase will be $6; those who already have a TAP card can buy a Day Pass for $5 on the bus.
The Day Pass was initially $3, but in 2007, that price was upped to $5. Metro raised the Day Pass price from $5 to $6 in 2010 in order to help them stuff a widening budget gap. With the implementation of the roll-back, Metro will monitor Day Pass purchases and usage to see if it has an impact on revenue and ridership. At the six-month mark, says Metro, they'll decide if they will keep the price at $5 beyond year one.