Transit
Maryland launches Smartrip-compatible smartcard
Some crazy rumors about a Baltimore-Washington compatible smartcard are finally true. Maryland will launch the CharmCard, which is fully compatible with transit systems in Baltimore and the Washington area. The cards go on sale Tuesday.
Photo by Heather Weaver
The card is available at CVS and Giant locations in the Baltimore region, and cost $10 with $7.50 of credit pre-loaded. If you go to the kickoff events, they will sell you a card with $5 loaded for $5, while supplies last. They're also available on Metro's website, for $10 with $7.50 pre-loaded.
That's a better deal than SmarTrip. WMATA is planning to lower the cost of SmarTrip cards to $2.50, but complications with negative balances have delayed that move.
Baltimore also leaps ahead of Washington by offering 1-day, 7-day and 30-day MTA passes. Passes are good only for the region they're purchased in, so when WMATA finally gets passes on the SmarTrip card, they will be good only in Washington.
Baltimore also already has a card registration website available. Everything I've read tells me that Charm Card is 100% functionally equivalent to SmarTrip. In fact, attempting to log in to the MTA Charm Card site loads the WMATA SmarTrip account site in a frame.
The only drawback is that they can only store $200. Other than that, if you happen to be in Charm City, go ahead and ride their transit using your SmarTrip card.
 | Michael Perkins blogs here and at Infosnack about Metro operations and fares, performance parking, and any other government and economics information he finds on the Web. He lives with his wife and two children in Arlington, Virginia.    |
Comments
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by BeyondDC on Sep 20, 2010 12:10 pm
by Chris Combs on Sep 20, 2010 12:21 pm
by Mike on Sep 20, 2010 12:22 pm
Anyway, I'm definitely going to get one, so I can wow my friends with my kitschy "Charm Card" that works on Metro.
by Jamie on Sep 20, 2010 12:42 pm
To tell you the truth, Smartrip cards were compatible in Baltimore ever since they installed the machines a couple years ago. I've been using my SmarTrip card on MTA for over 4 years now.
The only problem with CharmCard is that they won't have the same incentives as with SmarTrip plus I don't feel it will have the same takeoff as SmarTrip. While only being offered at Giant and CVS, there are not that many Giants or CVS's in Baltimore and the retailers who offer fare media won't get them either. They are really missing out on implementation and use.
by K Conaway on Sep 20, 2010 12:47 pm
And how does Baltimore lot lose a million dollars a month on the sale of these?
by charlie on Sep 20, 2010 12:47 pm
To tell you the truth, Smartrip cards were compatible in Baltimore ever since they installed the machines a couple years ago. I've been using my SmarTrip card on MTA for over 4 years now.
The only problem with CharmCard is that they won't have the same incentives as with SmarTrip plus I don't feel it will have the same takeoff as SmarTrip. While only being offered at Giant and CVS, there are not that many Giants or CVS's in Baltimore and the retailers who offer fare media won't get them either. They are really missing out on implementation and use.
by K Conaway on Sep 20, 2010 12:47 pm
by Chris on Sep 20, 2010 12:59 pm
by Jasper on Sep 20, 2010 1:12 pm
I had no idea it'd actually work!
by aa on Sep 20, 2010 1:13 pm
by Jamie on Sep 20, 2010 1:21 pm
I carried more than that on my SmartTrip. My ride from Reston to Federal Center was a little more than $5 per ride and with SmartBenefits loading on the start of the month, plus extra money for non-work travel, my card easily had more than $200 on it at the start of the month.
by Joshua Davis on Sep 20, 2010 1:37 pm
It seems to be MTA might know something WMATA doesn't. Or perhaps WMATA could buy some card from MTA and re-brand them as SmarTrip?
by Tim on Sep 20, 2010 1:45 pm
by Jamie on Sep 20, 2010 1:53 pm
While $200 might not be enough for WMATA, it seems to be more than enough for Baltimore. A monthly pass is $64, so I'm not sure why anyone would carry a higher balance for Baltimore. If you are a regular commuter between the two cities and use both systems frequently, you can load the monthly pass in Baltimore and have $200 to use on WMATA. Seems reasonable to me.
recaptcha: Kunstler movement
by Jed on Sep 20, 2010 2:15 pm
1) Several people have said that SmarTrip has been working on MTA for several years now. Is it seemless? Basically, if I go to Baltimore, can I simply use a regular SmarTrip to get on and off busses, rail, etc? Or is there some advantage to having one of these CharmCards over a SmarTrip?
2) My SmarTrip is just about worn out (it's about 8 years old). There are a lot of readers that won't detect it anymore, so I was thinking about buying a new one. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to buying this CharmCard instead of a regular SmarTrip card? I'll be doing 99% of my traveling on MetroRail, Metrobus, and the Circulator, but I like the idea of it working in Baltimore as well for when I visit.
Thanks everyone!
by Adam on Sep 20, 2010 2:26 pm
@ Jamie: How many people routinely carry a greater balance than that on smartrip?
As Joshua said: Everybody who works farther than roughly halfway across town from home. Everybody who utilizes the entire $250 that is allowed for smartbenefits.
I'm at $200 a month. And that makes that I go over $200 every time I get my smart benefits because there is always something left.
@ Jed: While $200 might not be enough for WMATA, it seems to be more than enough for Baltimore. ... If you are a regular commuter between the two cities and use both systems frequently, you can load the monthly pass in Baltimore and have $200 to use on WMATA. Seems reasonable to me.
No it's not. $64+$200>$200.
Presumably, the integration of the two pay systems is to facilitate travel between the two cities. Believe it or not, there are actually people commuting between the two cities.
I almost was one myself. That would have been a twice daily >2h trip from Lorton to downtown Baltimore. I am very happy to have found another opportunity that is "only" in DC, with a trip time of "only" an hour and a half.
There are also many families that live between DC and Baltimore because one partner works in one and the other in the other.
I hate to say it, but there is a world out there beyond the District line! You should go there once. Or twice. It's kinda cool! And big.
by Jasper on Sep 20, 2010 3:58 pm
MARC and MTA Commuter Bus will not have it implemented on those modes albeit it would seem more feasable to have it work regionwide and on all modes. The problem I see is that for one, MARC and Commuter Bus services are contracted and two, would cost more money to provide the equipment.
Another thing. If you're adding money onto the card on MTA bus and someone swipes their pass on the card reader, it screws up the entire process and the money won't be added on the card. I had this happen to me a few years ago.
by Ken Conaway on Sep 20, 2010 4:44 pm
by Jerry on Sep 21, 2010 7:47 am
Maryland MTA advised me that one will be able to load a monthly, weekly, or day-pass product onto a card, and then load an additional $200 on the card. The pass product is not treated as "cash."
And, I've been out of the district. I happen to live in Baltimore.
by Jed on Sep 21, 2010 9:37 am
by Walter on Sep 10, 2011 2:40 pm
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