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With buses and trains making stops all over Arlington,
riding transit is one of the simplest, most convenient
ways to travel here. Read on for everything you need to know to get started.
4 EASY STEPS TO START RIDING TRANSIT
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FIND YOUR BUS OR TRAIN
Step outside anywhere in Arlington County,
and there’s a good chance you’ll find
a bus or Metro line nearby. If you see a stop near you,
note its route number, letter or line color. Or go to
commuterpage.com
to access a comprehensive route map.
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CHECK THE TIME
There are lots of places to find out what time you can catch a bus
or train – information posted at bus stops, any Commuter Store, the
Metro Trip Planner, the
Arlington Transit website
or by phone at 703-228-RIDE. Since traffic can affect bus schedules, try to get to your stop five to ten minutes ahead of time.
- METRO’S TRIP PLANNER
- To find the train or bus you need, just visit
Metro’s Trip Planner
– type in your starting and ending addresses, and it’ll show you exactly how to get there.
- DOWNLOAD BUS SCHEDULES
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Point your web-enabled cell phone to commuterpage.com/handheld,
and you can download bus schedules for Northern Virginia Metrobus routes, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), and local
bus services like ART, CUE, DASH, Fairfax Connector, Falls Church George, Loudoun County Transit, and PRTC OmniRide and OmniLink.
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GO TO YOUR STOP
All ART, Metrobus and Metrorail stops are clearly marked with distinctive signage. Find one of these signs, and you’ve just found a stop:
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CLIMB ABOARD
When a bus or train arrives, check its line number and route name to make sure it’s the one you want.
HOW TO PAY FOR TRANSIT
ART & METROBUS
The regular cash fare for ART is $1.50 and Metrobus is $1.70. Senior citizens and people
with disabilities pay 75¢ with proper ID. Middle and high school students
with IDs ride ART for 75¢. Fares paid with SmarTrip cards are $1.50
for both ART and Metrobus. Riders who transfer from bus to bus ride free within a two-hour time period when they use a SmarTrip card.
To pay your cash fare, insert your money (exact change only) into the farebox – or
tap your SmarTrip card on the circular target on top of the farebox – when you
first board the bus.
METRORAIL
Basic SmarTrip rush hour fare is $1.95; basic rush hour paper fare card fare is $2.20. Fares range from $1.60 to $5.00, depending on when and how far you ride.
Senior citizens and people with disabilities are eligible for a discount – seniors can purchase discounted fare media at
Metro sales offices
or Arlington County Commuter Stores.
Regular SmarTrip cards may also be purchased at these locations.
To pay by cash, first purchase a farecard at one of the automated ticket/pass machines
located at each station’s entrance. Then when you head to your train,
use the farecard to pass through the platform gates. If you have a
SmarTrip card, just tap it on
the circular target at your faregate – there’s no need to buy a separate farecard.
You’ll save time and money by using a SmarTrip card.
SMARTRIP CARD TRANSFERS
If you take more than one bus or train on a single trip, you’re eligible to receive a
discounted transfer fare if you pay with a SmarTrip card. Riders who transfer from Metrorail
to ART or Metrobus receive a 50¢ discount, riders who transfer from ART or Metrobus to
Metrorail receive a 50¢ discount, and riders who transfer from bus to bus ride free
within a two-hour time period.
ABOUT SMARTRIP CARDS
Carry a SmarTrip card, and you can leave your cash at home. SmarTrip card are permanent,
rechargeable farecards that make paying your transit fares fast and easy! They can store
the value of many trips (up to $300 worth), pay for Metrorail, Metrobus and ART fares, pay
for parking at Metro parking facilities, and save you money with automatically discounted
bus and transfer fares.
The bright yellow Senior SmarTrip card gives riders ages 65 and
older discounted fares on Metrobus and Metrorail. You need to
show a valid government issued photo ID with proof of age when
purchasing the card.
You can buy SmarTrip cards at any
Commuter Store or online at commuterdirect.com, then add
value to them at the fare/pass machines in any Metrorail station,
on any Metrobus, at any Commuter Store and at many CVS Stores and
Giant Food Stores.
HOW TO READ A TIMETABLE
The easiest way to find bus times and schedules is to use
Metro’s Trip Planner or
ART’s website. But for times when you’re not near a computer,
here’s how to read a printed schedule:
 Look at the top row of the timetable to find the stops closest to
where you’ll get on and off the bus. Don’t worry if you don’t see your actual stop listed – there
are lots more stops in between these time stops.
 Move down the columns to see what times (am and pm) buses arrive
at each stop. If your stop isn’t listed, use the time shown for the stop right before it, since it’s better
to get there too early than too late.
 Follow the row with the times you want on it to the left to see
which bus you should board.
For example: If you want to get to Washington Blvd. & Quincy St. by about 4:15 pm, and you’re leaving from a
stop that’s in between Rosslyn and Court House, be at your stop by 4:01 pm – you’ll catch bus 38B, which
should arrive at 4:16 pm.
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