Coming This Week to D.C. Metro Stations: Grocery Delivery

"Metro has partnered with the online grocer Peapod in a six-month pilot that allows you to order groceries online and pick them up as you exit the Metro during the evening rush hour," reports Luz Lazo.

The program launches this week, with locations at the Fort Totten, Glenmont and Vienna Metro stations (located in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, respectively). According to Lazo, "Metro says that if the six-month try-out is successful it could expand to other locations in the 91-station system."

Metro Spokeperson Richard Jordan is quoted describing the pilot as a potential source of new revenue for the beleaguered transit system. In related news, Paul Duggan reported in November that Metro had scrapped a ban on ads advertising alcohol in trains, buses, and stations. At the time Duggan reported that Metro was "Coping with stagnant fare revenue, declining rail ridership, rising expenses and no significant increase in funding from Washington-area jurisdictions, the transit agency needs money to balance its budget."

Back on the subject of the grocery service, Luz reports that the transit station pilot is new territory for Giant Foods, the company that owns the Peapod pick-up and home-delivery service, and includes more detail about the pilot grocery delivery service will work.