MetroAccess Frequently Asked Questions

• What is MetroAccess?
• What is a shared-ride service?
• How much does it cost to ride MetroAccess?
• How can I get an application?
• When can I reserve a trip?
• When is the service available?
• Besides cash, what else will the MetroAccess driver accept as fare?
• Does MetroAccess come to my area?
• How will the driver assist me?
• What if I need additional assistance?
• My driver always arrives early. Can the driver leave me if I'm not ready?
• Why is it that some drivers wear uniforms and some do not?
• Why do I always have to share a ride with other people?
• Can I call MetroAccess for a ride to the hospital if I need immediate medical attention?
• I don't like vans. Can I get a taxi for every trip?
• What happens if I can't get a reservation for the time I want?
• I have never used Metrorail or Metrobus. Who can I call for help?
• What is InstantAccess?
• How do I know when the MetroAccess driver has arrived?

MetroAccess is a shared-ride, Door-to-Door, paratransit public transportation service. This WMATA service provides accessible transportation to people with disabilities who are unable to use accessible fixed route service such as Metrobus or Metrorail.

It means that when you are picked up, you may be sharing the vehicle with other customers and you may not be the first to arrive at your destination.

MetroAccess fares (one way) start at $2.50 (base fare) and go up to a maximum of $6.50. Drivers are required to collect fares before the trip departs. Exact fare is required. Drivers do not carry or make change. Customers taking trips that begin or end less than 3/4 of a mile from the nearest bus stop or 1-1/2 mile from the nearest Metrorail station will be charged the base fare ($2.50) for the trip. You may pay your fare using cash, a paper Metrorail farecard worth $2.50 or two Metrobus tokens (worth $1.25 each).

You can download the application or call 301-562-5360 (press 4 for the Eligibility Office) and we will happy to mail you an application. Once completed and certified by a health care professional, mail it to:

MetroAccess
8405 Colesville Road Building 3
Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Trips can be scheduled from one to 7 days in advance of the day you want to travel. The Reservations Office is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Core hours of MetroAccess operation reflect the hours of operation of Metro's fixed-route services, Metrorail and Metrobus. Reservations outside of those hours can be made if fixed-route service is offered at the same time and along the requested route of MetroAccess travel. Trips outside of the core hours of operation may be scheduled with a reservationist in the same manner as trips during the core hours.

You may pay your fare using cash, a paper Metrorail farecard worth $2.50 or two Metrobus tokens (worth $1.25 each).

For the regular fare of $2.50, MetroAccess travels to any location in the District of Columbia, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryalnd, Arlington and Fairfax counties, the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax and Falls Church in Virginia, that is within 3/4 of a mile of any regular fixed-route service operated by Metrorail, Metrobus or any of the above local jurisdictions. A surcharge of $1 is added to your fare for every three miles beyond that point.

MetroAccess drivers will provide the following assistance to customers:

• Ask the customer, "How may I assist you?"
• Accompany and assist the customer along the entire path of travel between the vehicle and the outermost exterior door
• Guide customers who are blind or low vision (per customer's approval/request)
• Maneuver the customer’s wheelchair (per customer's approval/request)
• Allow customers to hold the driver’s arm for balance
• Carry a limited amount of packages for the customer

It is important to note that the driver is not a personal care assistant, and is not permitted to provide assistance beyond what is outlined in this guide. Customers are responsible for making arrangements for any additional assistance needed. Additionally, MetroAccess drivers are strictly prohibited from:

• Entering or unlocking a customer's private residence at any time
• Assisting a customer using a wheelchair up or down steps or curbs
• Waiting with customers at their destination
• Handling a service animal

All customers have the right to travel with a personal care assistant (PCA) and should indicate their intent to do so when making a reservation. Some people have a level of disability that necessitates their use of a PCA. Customers, who cannot travel safely or comfortably without being accompanied by or met by a PCA, must understand that MetroAccess drivers cannot fulfill PCA duties.

Some duties which may be performed by a PCA and not by a MetroAccess driver include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting a customer in removing their jacket and/or repositioning in their wheelchair.
• Providing physical support for a customer so they may walk between the vehicle and the first exterior door of their pick-up or destination.
• Assisting a customer with changing oxygen canisters.
• Traveling with or meeting a customer who cannot be left unattended at their destination.
• Traveling with a customer who cannot be left unattended for a brief time on a MetroAccess vehicle without risk to themselves or others.
• Assisting a customer who travels with a service animal but cannot board or disembark that animal from the vehicle without assistance.
• Unlocking and/or opening the door to a customer's private residence.
• Assisting a customer using a wheelchair in navigating up or down any steps or curbs to or from the MetroAccess vehicle.

If your driver arrives early, he or she is only required to wait five minutes into the pick-up window. For example, if your pick-up window is from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. and the driver arrives at 7:45 or earlier, you must be in the vehicle by 7:50 a.m. You are not required to board the vehicle until the pick-up window begins, but you may board the vehicle early if you wish.

Drivers must be in uniform. The driver's ID card must be visible. If you ever have doubt about your driver's identity, call MetroAccess at 301-562-5360 and select option 2 to speak with a dispatcher.

We strive to serve as many customers as possible and shared rides are the only way to accomplish this. Vehicle types vary depending upon the accessibility requirements of customers who may be grouped on the same manifest because of where and when they are traveling.

MetroAccess is not a substitute for an ambulance. If you have an emergency, please call 911.

MetroAccess cannot accommodate requests for any specific vehicle type. We need the flexibility to use any MetroAccess vehicle throughout the service area and cannot do this if we assign vehicles according to preference instead of mobility status.

If we cannot provide a trip at your requested travel times, the reservationist will work with you to select another time within one hour of your requested time.

Training can be provided on using specific routes, stops and stations. Please call Metro’s Office of ADA Programs at 202-962-1100 or TTY 202-962-2033.

Using InstantAccess, you can confirm or cancel your trips using the keypad on your touch–tone telephone. Call 301-562-5360 (press 3 for InstantAccess) and use your MetroAccess ID number as your user name, and your birth date (mm/dd/yyyy) as your password (example: 01/01/1958).

Our computer will call you on the telephone when your driver arrives. The call can be sent to any phone number (including your cell phone). We can even call you on a different phone number for every pick-up. Just tell the agent when you make your reservation.

MetroAccess Paratransit