Locals can ride the Capital Bikeshare free of charge for the rest of the year as part of a new deal offered through a partnership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Metro riders who purchase a virtual SmarTrip card or transfer their card to mobile pay will receive access to 10 free 30-minute Capital Bikeshare rides, which will be valid for 30 days, according to WMATA’s website. The offer serves as another attempt from Metro officials who are working to reel in more passengers on public transit who will now be registered for more accessible boarding passes, after ridership plummeted following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Metro’s Board of Directors announced plans in June to lower fares and condense arrival times this fall as more efforts to incentivize higher ridership numbers and rebound from financial concerns caused by the pandemic.

Metro officials released SmarTrip cards for iPhone and Android users over the course of the past year, part of WMATA’s ongoing work to transition the cards to a digital pass. The Post reported that mobile payments account for about 10 percent of daily ridership numbers.

Passengers who already use virtual payment also automatically qualify for the Capital Bikeshare service.

Riders who don’t already own a virtual card must set up a SmarTrip online account and register for a mobile SmarTrip pass, WMATA’s website states. Metro will then credit each user’s Capital Bikeshare or Lyft account with the free rides, according to the website.