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Metro GM on possible new ‘Gold Line,’ Stadium-Armory improvements, bus fares

[audio mp3="https://wtop.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/nia_-clarke-audio-2_otter_ai.mp3" hide_author="true" title="WTOP's Nick Iannelli spoke with Metro CEO and General Manager Randy Clarke about upcoming plans for the transit agency." hide_date="true"][/audio]

Big changes are coming to two very different aspects of Metro’s system.

On buses, boarding riders will soon be greeted by the operator, who will now be directed to remind riders about the fare. Earlier this week, Metro said nearly seven in 10 bus riders still aren’t paying, costing the system tens of millions of dollars.

On the rails, the transit agency is planning large-scale improvements to the Stadium-Armory station ahead of the 2030 opening of the Washington Commanders stadium.

The system also has aspirations to establish a new “Gold Line” — a dedicated bus rapid transit line running from Union Station to the RFK campus.

WTOP’s Nick Iannelli spoke with Metro CEO and General Manager Randy Clarke about all these plans.

This Q&A was assembled from a portion of WTOP’s interview with Clarke discussing a wide range of topics surrounding Metro.

Metro crackdown on fare evasion draws union pushback over safety concerns 

Nearly 70% of Metrobus riders are not paying, transit officials say. Starting next week, the agency plans to crack down on fare evaders. Metro leaders at a board meeting last week said the transit system will ramp up enforcement and outreach following the Memorial Day holiday weekend, including adding more Metro Transit Police across the system to get more riders to pay their fare. The plan also includes having bus operators remind riders of the fare as they board, a shift from a long-standing policy where drivers were not expected to engage over payment.
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