DASH to Remain Fare Free into the New Year

DASH to Remain Fare Free into the New Year

December 31, 2020

All DASH buses will continue to operate fare free until further notice and customers are encouraged to continue boarding through the rear doors.

We continue to monitor COVID-19 infection information, the policies of our regional transit partners and effective mitigation solutions. Based on these factors, DASH will not resume fare collection until further notice.

While DASH continues to assess the health and safety concerns of COVID-19, permanent barriers between drivers and passengers are being installed onboard all DASH buses to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 around fare boxes and operators’ seats, where crowding often occurs and space is limited. Fare collection is not expected to resume until the installation of the driver barriers is completed.

In the meantime, passengers who need to use the ramp/kneeling function to board the bus are able to use the front door.

We are monitoring case numbers and infection rates and may adjust service or policies to respond to emerging public health trends. Additionally, we are following the advice of state and city health officials whenever applicable. As DASH continuously monitors the policies of our regional transit partners to provide the most uniform service for our passengers as possible, we may adjust our policies and procedures to combat COVID-19 as necessary.

For more information about our COVID-19 policies and service modifications, visit: dashbus.com/covidmods. For general information, visit: dashbus.com/covid19.

On Thursday, December 17, 2020, WMATA announced that it will return to front-door boarding and resume fare collection effective Sunday, January 3, 2021.