Commuter Express Store Sales Skyrocket

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Contact: Esther Bowring, 240-777-6530
Tom Pogue, 301-565-7317

For Immediate Release: April 11, 2001

Commuter Express Store Sales Skyrocket

In three years of operation, Commuter Express, the County’s transit store in Silver Spring that caters to local commuters, has far exceeded initial expectations. Sales have skyrocketed with average yearly sales increases of 75 percent.

“We want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for people to use transit,” said County Executive Douglas M. Duncan. “We have a great location right next to the Silver Spring Metro station where commuters receive friendly, personal attention.”

Between 1999 and 2000, Commuter Express increased sales by 120 percent. Revenues this year from Metrorail fare cards and passes, Ride On bus tokens and other kinds of “fare media” are expected to exceed $300,000. These fare media sales have reached as high as $40,000 in a single month.

At first glance, Commuter Express may look like the bank it replaced, but behind the shiny teller windows and elegant marble columns is a one-stop commuter service center. On the countertop where blank deposit and withdrawal slips were once found, a wealth of transit and fare information is provided instead. However, no superfluous fees are charged here -- merchandise is sold at-cost, the establishment is non-profit and the name of the game is service.

“The numbers are quite staggering, especially for sales of such low-dollar items,” said Tom Pogue, Montgomery County commuter services administrator. “We never thought we’d see this kind of success, but it shows that our customers are happy to have a convenient place to buy their fare cards and bus tokens.”

Located at 8401 Colesville Road, (with the entrance off 2nd Avenue) Commuter Express is one of the ways Montgomery County is encouraging public transit use and reducing the number of single-occupant vehicles that congest area roads.

In addition to the fare media, the store provides one-on-one assistance to employers who are trying to promote better transportation options in the workplace. Representatives are equipped to provide carpool matches, customized transportation seminars and presentations, and commuter incentives for biking, Metrorail, Ride On buses, and subsidy programs such as Fare Share. In three years, the number of Montgomery County employers adopting these initiatives has increased more than 60 percent.

“Everyone has different needs,” Pogue said, “which is why we have so many transportation options to help commuters get to work most efficiently and help alleviate traffic at the same time.”

If Commuter Express continues to succeed in its service efforts, by 2010 the County plans to open more stores in areas such as Bethesda, North Bethesda and Shady Grove.

For more information, call the Commuter Express Store at 301-770-POOL (7665) between 6:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Store hours for walk-in purchases are 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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