The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is celebrating Independence Day by going fare-free for the holiday.
On July 4th (Thursday) all Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess will be free after 5 p.m. The Metro system closes at midnight, but last train times vary by station.
“During the afternoon, you’ll also see us ramp up service to rush hour service levels on Metrorail to get tens of thousands of you to events safely and reliably across the region,” WMATA said in a release.
This is the second year that WMATA has gone fare-free for 4th of July.
“For the second straight year, we’re providing fare-free service for part of the holiday to give everyone a stress-free, easy way to beat the traffic to backyard barbecues, parades, fireworks and other festivities,” said Metro Board Chair and former Alexandria City Council member Paul C. Smedberg in the release. “There’s no day off for Metro. We’re open seven days a week, 365 days a year and want everyone to have a safe and happy Fourth of July holiday.”
WMATA advised that anyone traveling to the National Mall for fireworks should exit from a station closest to their destination on the same line they started on to avoid crowding at transfers. Riders are also advised not to use Smithsonian station, which is prone to overcrowding.
Alexandria buses, meanwhile, have been fully fare-free since 2021.
