Oh, I'm sure you could leave them for your friends to use, Nepheline. As could I :-) For visitors who don't know anyone in the city, though... and surely residents all have one, if not more than one, already?

Sure, give your SmarTrip card to a friend in DC. We keep spares for our out of town guests to use.

<i>Sure, give your SmarTrip card to a friend in DC. We keep spares for our out of town guests to use.</i>

Ditto. I also admit to having at least a couple of spares for myself.

Yes, SmartTrip cards can definitely be passed on to someone else. Their use is not limited to any one individual* and no name or photo appears on the card. It is possible - but not mandatory - to go online and register a card to an individual but even then the card can be used by anyone, not only the person to whom it is registered.

For visitors staying just a few days registration may not offer much. For residents or frequent visitors registering is a good idea because if a registered card is lost or stolen the owner can go online and freeze the card, then transfer whatever value remained to a new card. It is also possible to add value to a registered card online, bypassing the need to use one of the machines at a metro station (though that is a pretty easy process, too.) And for anyone who needs to track Metro expenses for reimbursement or other purposes, usage history is available online.

*<i>to be clear, only one person can travel at a time using the card, so you need one for each person in your traveling party</i>.

As I wrote yesterday. . . .
= = = = =
You can turn in the SmarTrip card for remaining refund:

SmarTrip Customer Service Center
P.O Box 220568
Chantilly, VA 20153

There's a possibility we'll go to Alexandria late in the afternoon one day wander around and stay for dinner.

Is that a reasonable idea and any restaurant suggestions?

In October, some reunion attendees will be flying into National Airport and some will take Amtrak into Union Station before continuing on to the new Metro station in Reston. Which Metro station would they change trains to get on the new Silver line?

The ones arriving at Reagan will need to get a Blue line train and transfer to the Orange at Rosslyn headed to the East Falls Church station. The ones arriving at Union station will need to get an Orange Line train to East Falls Church (change from Red to Orange at Metro Center)

If it's running….

Which it should be….

Probably...

Thank you

obxgirl,

You're getting me a bit nervous. You don't seem to have much confidence in the DC Metro running.

The question was about a new line that is being constructed. There is no reason to be nervous about whether Metro is "running." It runs every day. Do you really think the whole system will be shut down?

On weekends there is trackwork and sometimes stations closed to be worked on. You should check before you come to see if anything will be disrupted.

I think these pages will be helpful:
http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/met...s/rail_bus.cfm
http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/

^^^. Agreed. As already mentioned the answer was about a new line (silver) whose opening has been delayed more than once. It will not have any impact on the travel you've described. I also agree you should check Metro's webiste (linked above) when you are there to make certain there are no planned service delays.

I am a big fan of DC's metro.