Help Index

Senior, Disability, Student and Youth Discounted Fares

Metro, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus, MARC, and Arlington STAR offer discounted fares for seniors, disabled persons, students, and youth. Customers must document their eligibility for these discounts to purchase most discounted tickets and passes through CommuterDirect.com.

Reduced Fares for Seniors

Metro, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus, and MARC all offer reduced fares for seniors, age 65 and over. To qualify to purchase these reduced fares through CommuterDirect.com, please email (preferred), mail, or fax a copy of your proof of age to CommuterDirect.com. Documents we accept include a driver's license, other state-government-issued photo ID with date of birth, a passport, or MTA Senior ID. Send your proof of age, along with your name and contact information, to:

Email: Questions@CommuterDirect.com
Mail: CommuterDirect.com, PO Box 12176, Arlington VA 22219
Fax: (703) 524-4959

Allow one business day after submitting proof of age for the discounted fare to be available to purchase.

Reduced Fares for Persons with Disabilities

Metro, VRE, MTA Commuter Bus, and MARC all offer reduced fares for persons with disabilities. Each transit agency requires their own ID to purchase reduced fares. (MTA Commuter Bus and MARC are both operated by MTA, and accept the same ID.) To qualify to purchase these reduced fares through CommuterDirect.com, email (preferred), mail, or fax a copy of the appropriate ID to CommuterDirect.com. The type of ID required depends on the transit agency you?re purchasing fares for.

  • Virginia Railway Express (VRE): VRE requires either a VRE Reduced Fare ID or Medicare card. No other ID or documentation is accepted. More information from VRE
  • Metro: Metro will accept either a Metro Disability ID -- more information from Metro -- or an MTA Disability ID (see below).
  • MARC and MTA Commuter Bus: These Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) services will accept either an MTA Disability ID, more information from MTA, a Metro Disability ID (see above), or a VRE Reduced Fare ID (see above).

Once you have the appropriate ID(s) for the fares you wish to purchase, please please email (preferred), mail, or fax a copy of your ID(s) to CommuterDirect.com:

Email: Questions@CommuterDirect.com
Mail: CommuterDirect.com, PO Box 12176, Arlington VA 22219
Fax: (703) 524-4959

Allow one business day after submitting your ID for discounted fares to be available to purchase.

Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents (STAR) fares can be purchased by any CommuterDirect.com customer, but STAR trips can only be booked by registered STAR users. Documentation is required to register.

MARC Student Fare

MARC offers reduced-price tickets and passes to students. To qualify to purchase these reduced fares through CommuterDirect.com, please email (preferred), mail, or fax a copy of your proof of school enrollment to CommuterDirect.com. In order to purchase a MARC discounted Student Advantage ticket you must produce both Student Advantage card and your school ID.

Please send proof of enrollment, along with contact information to:

Email: Questions@CommuterDirect.com
Mail: CommuterDirect.com, PO Box 12176, Arlington VA 22219
Fax: (703) 524-4959

Allow one business day after submitting your ID for discounted fares to be available to purchase.

More information about obtaining a Student Advantage card

NOTE: As of September 2023 we are aware that Student Advantage is experiencing severe delays processing membership requests. Our customers are encouraged to contact Student Advantage via phone (800-333-2920) or email (info@studentadvantage.com) for membership status.

VRE Youth Fare

Children 10 and under ride for free with a fare paying adult. Youth riders, between the ages of 11 and 18, can purchase discounted tickets with a VRE Reduced Fare ID. To qualify to purchase these reduced fares through CommuterDirect.com, please email (preferred), mail, or fax a copy of your Reduced Fare ID to CommuterDirect.com, along with contact information. Send to:

Email: Questions@CommuterDirect.com
Mail: CommuterDirect.com, PO Box 12176, Arlington VA 22219
Fax: (703) 524-4959

Allow one business day after submitting your ID for discounted fares to be available to purchase.

More information from VRE about the Youth Fare program, and obtaining a VRE Reduced Fare ID.

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