On an X9 bus headed toward Metro Center last week, riders quickly tapped their SmarTrip cards as they got on board. But at one stop, the line paused as a man slid dollar bills into the cash feeder. The brief slowdown illustrated why Metro planners are considering barring cash on as many as 13 express bus routes, forcing the 12 percent of bus riders who use bills and change to switch to SmarTrip cards. Critics worry that the idea, headed for a November vote by Metro’s board, will make it harder for the poor, homeless and disabled to take express buses — relegating them to a sort of second-class status on the slower local buses that would continue to take cash.
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