Say goodbye to CharmCard, the Maryland Transit Administration’s tap-and-go payment option for bus, Metro, subway and railway commuters. The MTA announced Wednesday that it’s phasing out the card for the mobile app CharmPass by the end of the year and, with that, comes a modern makeover for buses. According to the MTA, “new, modern” fare boxes are coming to the agency’s fleet of 825 buses. Beginning this summer, officials expect to upgrade 200 buses per month. Starting in August, commuters won’t be able to use the CharmCard on buses with the new technology. Officials expect the phase-in to be finished by the end of November. “These new fareboxes are another way we are working to improve the rider experience and create a modern, more efficient transit system,” MTA Administrator Holly Arnold said in a news release. The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one. Commuters can download CharmCard’s replacement, the mobile app CharmPass , which the agency launched in 2018, for free on smartphones. The MTA said a one-way fare through CharmPass would be valid for 90 minutes, so riders likely won’t have to pay for transfers across other forms of transit with that window. The app also has three-day and 10-day pass options through CharmFlex, which the MTA said would be less costly than individual day passes for three or 10 days. Riders who don’t have smartphones can pay their fare as they board the bus or purchase passes at a ticket vending machine and at the Transit Store. Fares for a one-way trip and for a full day, weekly or monthly pass are $2, $4.60, $22 and $77, respectively. The amounts may differ for senior, disabled or student riders. The CharmCard, part of a 15-year-old option that has allowed riders to tap and go, is a reusable fare card that allows for regional travel on buses, light rail and the subway. It will be fully retired on all transit modes by Dec. 31. For more information, visit www.mtacharmcard.com or call 410-539-5000.
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